


Vagabonds Only

by golddustwoman2505



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Book 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Other, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-16 17:08:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 23
Words: 75,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29953203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/golddustwoman2505/pseuds/golddustwoman2505
Summary: Much like her aunt before her, Cassiopeia Malfoy is banished from her childhood home after her romance with a Muggle-born boy is discovered. While she loses her immediate family, she gains an aunt and uncle she never knew, the cool older cousin of her dreams, and a ginger-haired boy who vows to be her family until the day he dies.
Relationships: Andromeda Black Tonks/Ted Tonks, Cho Chang/Cedric Diggory, Fred Weasley/Original Female Character(s), Nymphadora Tonks/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 8





	1. Prologue: May 1994

I never really talk about what happened the day I was kicked out. I can still see the look on my dad's face when he'd intercepted my letter to Danny.

"Daniel Light. Number 12 Spitchwick Park, Newton Abbot, England. Now, tell me who this Daniel Light boy is. He goes to Hogwarts?"

"Yes, Father, let me explain –"

"And his family?"

Silence. I knew what would come if I told the truth.

"Cassie, answer your father."

I hadn't even noticed my mother was in the room. I took a long inhale, then started explaining.

"His family are Muggles. Well, his father's dead, so he could've been magic, but his mother's a Muggle. He's really wonderful, Mother, and I love him and he cares for me-"

Her face remained stony. My eyes darted to the corner of the room. I could see my little brother poking his head in, trying to listen in on whatever my father had to say next.

"Pity. I had hoped that the lessons your mother and I taught you over the years would've had some effect on you. Clearly, we were mistaken. You disappoint me, Cassiopeia. I won't give you another chance to do it again."

My stomach dropped. The tears started falling and I couldn't stop them.

"Father, please, I don't understand why you're doing this. It's not like we're getting married or anything, he's just my boyfriend-"

"You pack your trunk immediately. Clear out your belongings. You have one hour. I don't want a single trace of you left in this house."

I shook my head violently. I looked up at my mother, looking for some sort of objection, but there came none. In a flash, the door flew open and my little brother came tumbling into the room. He must've been leaning on the door, the little eavesdropper.

"DRACO! YOU GET OUT OF HERE AT ONCE!"

"Father, where's Cassie going? Mother, you can't send her away –"

My father crossed the room and picked my little brother up off the floor by the collar of his jumper, the fabric pulling apart under his grip. Even at thirteen, Draco could barely fend off our father.

"SAY GOODBYE TO YOUR SISTER, DRACO, SHE WON'T BE STAYING MUCH LONGER," he roared, throwing my little brother out of the room and into the hall, slamming the door behind him. I looked back at my mother. Her eyes were glued to the floor.

"Cassiopeia, you do as your father says."

"Mother, please, you can't –"

"Yes, I can. You have one hour."

Silently resigned, I wiped my nose on the sleeve of my jumper and hurried out. I ran up to my room and slammed the door. I leaned against the door, trying to support myself and failing miserably. I stifled a wail, not wanting my parents to hear me cry any more. If being kicked out was what it took to finally be free of their psychotic, blood purity obsession, so be it. I was seventeen, almost eighteen. I passed my Apparition test with flying colors and I only had one more year of school. I could make it on my own. Couldn't I?

It took my twenty minutes to pack my trunk. I hastily tied another letter to my owl Lyra's foot and sent her on her way. If I knew I could go anywhere, it was to Danny's house.

As I descended the stairs of my childhood home, I looked around. Come to think of it, it wasn't much of a home. It was all cold and dark and…everything a home shouldn't be. I did one final once-over, then pushed open the front door and stepped outside. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a head of blond hair hiding in the hedges.

"Come to say goodbye, you little sneak?" I asked.

"Yeah, actually. I was. But come to think of it, you probably deserve it, fooling around with that Mudblood Light. You're lucky Mother and Father didn't do anything worse to you –"

I turned to face him and silently cast a Stinging Jinx that hit him square in the face. He landed flat on his back and moaned from the pain. I leaned over him on the path.

"You're lucky I didn't do worse to you just now. Merlin knows you deserve it – and more," I sneered. "The swelling should go down in an hour or so."

As Draco lay on the concrete writhing in pain, I unlocked the gates to the manor and slammed them behind me. After a few steps, I thought of Danny and was sucked into the air without a trace.


	2. You look familiar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cass visits Daniel's home and discovers an uninvited guest.

THUD!

I wasn't the most graceful at landing when I Apparated. I looked around at the lush, green pastures and moonlit sky above me. A few feet up the path was a small house with a thatched roof. The lights, however, were off. No matter, I thought. Danny probably got my letter.

As I ventured up the path with my trunk, I began to realize that no one was at the house. Everything was silent. I stopped in front of the door and pulled out my wand.

"Alohamora," I whispered, unlocking the door and pushing it open quietly. As I did so, I heard another noise.

THUD!

I shut the door quickly. I pressed my ear to the door. I heard shuffling, mumbling, the sounds of…wings? Whoever was in Danny's house shouldn't have been there, and they had been caught by me. Nevertheless, I pushed the door open slowly.

The inside of the house was dark. "Lumos," I whispered as I walked forward into the darkness. I was turning every which way, trying to keep an eye out for whatever it was I heard. All of a sudden, I saw another light out of the corner of my eye.

"EXPELLIARMUS!"

My wand flew up and into the hands of a man whom I had most definitely seen before. I backed away.

"What have you done to them?" I asked, stepping away again. The light from the man's wand illuminated his face to show me who he was. He was pale and thin, and his thick, dark hair looked like it hadn't been washed in weeks.

"What have I done to who?" he asked incredulously. "Whoever lives here has quite the stash of dead rats. Perfect for my, er, Buckbeak."

I must've given him a strange look.

"Sorry. This is my boyfriend's house. He's expecting me…or at least he should have been. What are you doing here?"

His shrugged. "Just passing through. I noticed the lights were off and didn't want to miss an opportunity to stock up on food before I moved along. Back to your original question, I haven't done anything to whoever lives here. No one was home when I arrived."

I nodded. The awkwardness in the air was palpable.

"You're Sirius Black, aren't you?" I asked. I must've sounded like an idiot.

Again, he smiled. "Guilty. About the only thing I'm guilty of, though the Ministry would have you believe otherwise. Who are you?"

At first, I thought about lying. But I was tired of that.

"Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia Malfoy. People call me Cass or Cassie," I muttered. His eyes widened.

"Merlin's beard, are you really?" he whispered. I cocked an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I'm sure you've heard of my parents, Lucius and –"

"And Narcissa Malfoy. When I knew her, she was Narcissa Black. Never liked Lucius, even when we were at school. Bit of a bully, in my estimation," he chuckled.

"Yeah, I'd definitely describe my father as a bully," I muttered. "They…they kicked me out, you see. The boy who lives here – Danny – is my boyfriend. Well, sort of my boyfriend. We've snogged a few times and said 'I love you' and –

"He sound like a boyfriend to me," Sirius said plainly.

"Well, my father intercepted a letter I had written to him. They didn't know I was seeing anyone, let alone someone Muggle-born. They threw me out before I could even explain myself."

Silence again.

"Narcissa's my cousin, you know," Sirius piped up.

I blinked.

"Wait, you're related to the monstrous woman who raised me?"

Once again, he chuckled. His laugh sounded like music, which you wouldn't expect by looking at him. "Yes, we're cousins. Members of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, you see. Narcissa was always the perfect Black daughter, whereas I had run away from home by the time I was your age."

"We're quite the vagabonds, it seems," I whispered. He seemed to like the sound of that.

"Vagabonds only," he whispered.

Once again, there was silence. Neither of us dared fill it. After a few minutes, Sirius spoke.

"Well, I best be heading off-

"Yeah, I should probably get going too, figure out where I'm going to go. Since Danny's not here I'm not sure where I'll go," I said.

Sirius nodded. For a second, I considered asking him to take me with him, but after remembering that he was the most wanted man in the wizarding world, I thought better of it.

"Well, goodbye," I said hastily. "I doubt we'll meet again."

Sirius looked a little hurt. "I highly doubt that, Miss Malfoy."

I cocked my head at him and smiled. "It's Cass. We'll see about that."

With one final nod, he disappeared out of the house. After a few minutes, I heard the familiar flapping of wings from earlier as Sirius took off into the sky on what appeared to be a hippogriff.

As I watched him fly away, I wondered what it would be like to be wanted, to be on the run, but free at the same time. I was beginning to think I would learn soon enough.


	3. Girl on the run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After living under bridges and stealing food and clothes, Cass happens upon a fellow witch.

The weirdest thing I learned about how Muggles live is that they can dye their hair using colors from a box. You put this weird paste all over your hair and it somehow changes your hair to the color you want it to be. I'm not sure how it works. It's probably the closest thing they have to magic.

In the process, I learned the hard way that you need to cover up your ears and skin around your hairline if you're dyeing it a darker color. The light-colored solution had turned dark around my neck and tops of my ears, so it looked like I was covered in black paint. Once it had dried, I admired my handiwork in the public bathroom mirror.

My hair was jet black now, as opposed to its signature Malfoy platinum. However, I had left the underside of my hair blonde, so that when I put it up into its usual half-up half-down bun style, you could see both black and blonde; my mother had her hair colored similarly, and it was, frankly, the only cool thing about her.

From there, I left the bathroom and eyed the back door of the shop I was in. I tried to avoid using magic on Muggles in public, especially if I was doing something against their laws. The only time I'd been caught was when I snuck a few pastries from a case in a café a few weeks ago. I had to Obliviate the poor girl working so she didn't call the police.

As I darted out the door, I tossed the hair dye box into a bin and kept walking at a brisk pace, putting a little device called a Walkman into my ears. You put a little tape into the box, put these little "headphones" into your ears and they played music. I nicked it from a secondhand shop, along with a few tapes ("Speaking in Tongues" by Talking Heads, "A Day at the Races" by Queen and "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" by David Bowie were my favorites). I pressed play on Tongues and kept walking. I really loved Muggle music. It made me happy, I could dance to it, and it didn't feel stifling. I wish it hadn't taken me this long to discover it.

As I walked past an alley, I noticed a pile of newspapers sitting on the ground, all wet and a bit dirty from the rain. I picked one of them up and recognized it immediately.

"Brilliant," I muttered, thrilled that I'd finally found a copy of The Daily Prophet somewhere in London. I sat down on a milk crate in the alley and leafed through it.

Turns out, I'd missed a LOT of wizarding news, the Quidditch World Cup was happening between Ireland and Bulgaria being the biggest of it. I'd have to find a way to go. I always loved Quidditch. I had been a Keeper on the Slytherin team during school, but I quit during my sixth year, after my father pulled out all the stops to get my brother on the team in his second year.

I continued leafing through the paper but didn't find anything terribly exciting other than the Quidditch World Cup and that Sirius Black was said to be outside of England, somewhere "exotic." I wasn't sure what that meant, but I imagined Sirius and his hippogriff laying on a beach somewhere, Sirius with a fruity cocktail and the hippogriff with several dead ferrets and laughed.

I folded up the paper and stuffed it into my black tote bag, which was full to bursting with my belongings. Granted, I had put an Undetectable Extension Charm on the bag, so while it didn't look or feel heavy, it was a huge bitch to have to find anything in there. I fished around for a rain jacket to throw on over my jumper, which was stuck underneath a copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard and a package of Sugar Quills. The two things that brought me the most joy in the world – and that kept me entertained on dull days.

Ever since the meeting with Sirius at Danny's house, I stayed away from anything related to the wizarding world. I figured my parents would've made up some story about how I was traveling across Europe or Asia and would be gone until the start of school, so as to keep any suspicions at bay, and with the start of school looming, I didn't exactly fancy running into them at Diagon Alley. I also didn't dare go to Gringotts, as I was certain my vault was already emptied out. That night, I left Danny a letter saying that I'd be in touch as soon as it was safe and Disapparated back to London.

That was almost three months ago. I never expected to be spending my summer on the streets of London, disowned from my family, but stranger things had happened.

From then on, I wandered aimlessly through London, strolling the streets by day and sleeping under bridges by night. When you're a witch, you can do that sort of thing without facing the same dangers that Muggles do. Some days I'd get on a dozen different trains to a dozen different places and others, I'd stay under a bridge and read The Tale of the Three Brothers over and over until I fell asleep. It was a far cry from the luxurious life I grew up having, but I was finally independent. In a strange way, it was everything I ever wanted.

After another twenty minutes of winding through back alleys, I stopped in another secondhand shop. My jumper was starting to get holes in it and I was in desperate need of a new one. I ducked into a shop called Barnes and Tremblay's Secondhand, shaking the rain from my hair and wiping my boots on the dirty, dark mats.

As usual, I made a beeline for the back of the store, where the men's section would be and where I was least likely to be caught stealing anything. Back home, I'd never be caught stealing anything from anywhere, because I never needed to. Now that I was a wizard in a Muggle's world, with no Muggle money and limited knowledge of how things worked, I was always on my guard when doing things like this.

I picked up a forest green jumper that looked about two sizes too big and held it up to myself. Perfect, I thought. I looked around. No one seemed to be watching me. There was one cashier, but his nose was deep in a book and didn't even seem to notice I'd come in. I wandered toward the back of the store, toward the changing rooms. I slipped into one of them and locked the door.

Once I was in, I tried to make it sound like I was trying the jumper on, when in reality I simply stuffed it into my bag. I closed up the bag, took a deep breath, and opened the door.

"Wotcher."

It was the cashier. He totally knew what I was up to.

"Um, hi? Sorry, I was just-"

"I'm gonna have to take a look in that bag, sweetheart," he drawled, smiling a very crooked, yellow smile down at me.

"Not sure why you'd need to, there's nothing in here," I lied, very poorly.

"Oh, I believe you, darling. But I still need to take a look, just to make sure. Wouldn't want the bosses thinking I let a thief go on her merry way, would I? Wouldn't matter if it was a pretty thief…"

I averted my eyes and reached around my back as casually as I could. Where the hell was my wand?

The cashier inched closer to me, reaching out to brush my cheek. "Don't be scared, darling. I just need to take a look in that bag. Be a good girl and give it to me, will ya?"

"I didn't steal anything."

"Just give me the bag-"

"I DIDN'T STEAL ANYTHING, LEAVE ME ALONE!

"Have it your way then, darling. Let's see what the police have to say, shall we?" he grinned menacingly down at me.

As he turned his back away from me, I finally grabbed my wand out of my pocket and raised it. Before I could utter a Stunning spell, someone in the shop did it for me.

"STUPEFY!"

The cashier flew backward and hit the floor, out for the count. I whipped around.

A young woman with a bubblegum pink mullet stood there, smirking at me.


	4. Family is family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cass discovers three long-lost relatives.

I must've had a really stupid look on my face, because the woman just stood there, smirking at me for another minute.

Everything about her was just…cool. She couldn't have been much older than me, clad in these ripped black jeans and an oversized jean jacket with a million buttons and patches. Her jewelry was black as well; a black choker around her neck and thin, black rings adorning her index, middle and ring fingers. The only colorful thing on her was her hair, which was now the same ocean blue as the walls of the store.

"Real menace, that one," she said casually, as if she were discussing the weather. "It's not even the first time I've had to stun him."

She smiled at me, then casually turned around and started walking away. Naturally, I followed.

"Um, thank you? I'm really sorry about that, I don't know why I-"

"Yeah, I saw you grab your wand at the last second! I probably should've let you have a go at him, but I couldn't resist," she said playfully. "But if you ever come back here, you'll probably get your chance at him."

Now out on the street, I couldn't help but follow her. Who was she? And how did she know I was about to get arrested? Or worse?

"Sorry, I don't mean to pry, but what's your-"

"Oh, just call me Tonks. I hate my first name, so everyone just calls me by my surname. Leave it to my mother to name me something awful like…Nymphadora."

She shuddered. I laughed. It was an awful name.

"I'm Cass. Well, Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia Malfoy."

Tonks's smile faded.

"Good lord, did you just say Malfoy?"

I looked at her quizzically.

"Yeah, I did. My mum and dad kicked me out a few months ago, so I'm not really a Malfoy anymore. In fact, I tell strangers my last name is Black, it was my-"

"Your…mother's maiden name, I presume?"

I took a step away from her. What was going on?

"Yeah. Look, I know you're a witch, but how do you know my-"

She reached forward and grabbed my arm.

"No time to explain, but you're coming with me."

And with that, we Disapparated.

THUD!

"You're not too graceful with landing, are you?" Tonks asked me, laughing as she helped me up off the ground. I brushed myself off and looked around.

We were in a suburb. A Muggle suburb, to be exact. The houses all looked the same, brown and white with front porches and shutters. The lawns were manicured and the flowers all blooming. I had no idea why this cool, young witch had brought me here.

Tonks took my hand and led me down the road to a white house with forest green shutters and a matching front door. It was the only unique looking house on the block.

"Tonks, where are you taking me?" I asked impatiently. "Look, we've only just met, but –"

"Relax, I just wanted to bring you home to meet my parents. I haven't had too many girl friends since my school days, so it probably brings Mum a little bit of joy to see if I've made a friend. I'm always so busy working that I haven't had time for friends in so long."

I was still completely befuddled. We've known each other ten minutes and now we're friends?

Tons turned away and pushed open the front door. Inside, I was met with the most immaculately-kept home I'd ever seen.

Everything was clean and organized, but it still felt like a home. Sunlight was streaming into the front room and it smelled like lavender and lemons. Tonks kicked off her boots and her hair turned the same color as the fresh lavender on the kitchen table.

"MUM! DAD! I'M HOME!" she bellowed.

"Goodness, 'Dora, I'm right here! No need to shout," a voice called from behind me. We both turned around. My stomach dropped.

The woman standing before me could very well have been my mother. They had the same heart-shaped face and wide eyes, but this woman had thick chestnut hair that fell in waves around her shoulders. She wore glasses and a deep blue jumper and had a warm, motherly smile. Tonks gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Mum, this is my new friend Cass," she said proudly. "No need to hide your wand. She's a witch too."

The woman smiled.

"Lovely to meet you, dear. If you didn't already figure it out, I'm Dora's mum-"

"MUM!"

"Well, I can't very well call you 'Tonks', can I? I'm not one of your fellow Aurors!" she exclaimed. "Sorry, dear. I'm Andromeda, but you can call me Andy if you feel comfortable. Most everyone does."

I was still breathless. I think she noticed.

"Hi, Andromeda, it's lovely to meet you," I breathed. "I'm so sorry, you probably think there's something wrong with me. It's just that you…you look exactly like my mother. For a moment there I thought you were her."

Andromeda laughed. "Well, I'll take that as a compliment, dear! Would you like a cup of tea? Something to eat? My husband should be up in a few minutes, he's busy doing – well, he's – TED! WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU DOING DOWN THERE?" she bellowed down a flight of stairs. Suddenly, a man came walking into the room.

"For goodness sake, Andy, I'm right here! And for your information, I was writing. I've got a tight deadline coming up and I'd like to actually meet this one for once. Ah, I see Dora's brought a friend round?"

I smiled. The man was just as warm and friendly as Andromeda. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with sandy blond hair and a boyish smirk that played across his entire face.

"Cass, this is my husband and Dora's father, Ted," Andromeda said lovingly. Ted stuck out his hand.

"Ted Tonks. Nice to finally see Dora having a bit of a social life," he chuckled.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I guess I was too busy trying to get through Auror training to have a social life!" Tonks exclaimed, standing up from the kitchen table and breezing past her father, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "You want tea, Cass?"

I nodded. Out of nowhere, Andromeda waved her wand and a kettle of boiling water and four teacups and saucers floated over to the kitchen table, where we all sat. I sipped my tea and watched as my new friend joked around with her father and rolled her eyes when her mother implored her to try a different haircut. After about twenty minutes, Andromeda looked over at me.

"So Cass, where did Dora find you, exactly?" she asked casually.

"Oh, in a secondhand shop. She helped me fend off a rather creepy cashier," I said, laughing.

She nodded. "And how did you come to even be in that part of London? Are your parents Muggles?"

I shook my head. "No, actually I don't live with my parents anymore. To be honest, they kicked me out a few months ago."

Andromeda and Ted exchanged looks, wondering who this delinquent was that their daughter brought home. I had to clear things up.

"It wasn't anything bad! At least, I didn't think it was," I stammered. "My parents are these really weird, wizard blood purity freaks. They found out I'd been dating a Muggle-born boy at school, and they…well, kicked me out."

Andromeda's head dropped. Ted took her hand. Tonks looked uncomfortable. Andromeda picked up her head and smiled.

"Well, you might not believe it, but I know how that feels. Ted's Muggle-born and we started dating back in our Hogwarts days. My family was the same as yours, naturally they wouldn't have it, so I was disowned. Burned off the family tree and never to be seen or heard from again. Since that day, I've never looked back," she said, smiling up at Ted.

I breathed a sigh of relief. "That's a really lovely story, I'm not going to lie. I wish it were that easy for me. My father wasn't happy and my mother did nothing to stop him from throwing me out on my arse, and I haven't really even spoken to Danny since."

"Goodness, and I thought the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black was bad when it came to that," Andromeda said, taking a sip of tea. "What did you say your surname was, dear?"

"Malfoy. My full name's Cassiopeia Malfoy."

Suddenly, the whole room seemed to freeze. Andromeda's face fell, along with her teacup. Ted's eyes widened, looking very concerned for his wife. All eyes were on Andromeda.

"Excuse me, I'm just going to…excuse me just a moment dear," she whispered, before standing up suddenly and walking briskly from the room.

I looked at Ted and at Tonks, confused. What had I done? I never had the easiest time making friends at school, and I was scared I'd already screwed up this new friendship before it even started.

"Should I go talk to her? What did I do?" I asked stupidly.

Tonks shook her head. "It's alright, really, she just-"

I stood up from the table and walked up the stairs to find Andromeda.

I knocked on the first door I saw.

"Come in," Andromeda said, her voice small.

I walked inside and smiled sympathetically.

"Andromeda, I'm so sorry if I said something to upset you! I didn't mean to bring up bad memories or anything, it's just that I've never met anyone who understands what I've been through-"

She shook her head and smiled through her tears. "No, dear! You did nothing of the sort. Here, sit down. I'll tell you what's got me in such a state."

Tentatively, I sat next to her. She took my hands in hers.

"Your mother and father. What are their names?" she asked me.

"Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy."

Andromeda smiled and shook her head, as if she were remembering something. She stood up and walked to her dresser, pulled open the top drawer and reached for a frame. She brought it over to me and placed it in my hands.

In the frame was a photograph of three young women. One was tall with heavily-lidded eyes and untamed, curly black hair. The other was clearly Andromeda, with the same kind eyes and brown curls that fell to her waist. The other young woman was blond and smiling, her blue eyes wide and her lashes long and thick. No doubt, it was my mother.

"See that girl there? That's me," Andromeda said. "And that," she said, pointing to the blond girl, "is your mother. My sister, Narcissa Black."

My jaw went slack. Suddenly, I remembered something.

"Wait…you're Andromeda Black! You're the one who was burned off the tapestry at my great-uncle's house! I remember when I was younger, asking my mother who used to be in that spot and she never said anything. I never even knew she had another sister," I exclaimed, once again breathless.

"To be honest with you, dear, it wasn't really your mother's fault that I got kicked out of the house," Andromeda said matter-of-factly. "It was our oldest sister, Bella, who told our parents about Ted and I."

I nodded. "Bella. You mean Bellatrix Lestrange?"

Andromeda nodded. "Oh, I do. In case you're wondering, she really was always quite horrid."

I laughed, my eyes starting to well up again. My whole life, I thought all my relatives were the same blood-purity maniacs, striving to make sure that my brother and I grew up with the exact same values. It never occurred to me that there was someone out there who shared my DNA but didn't share the views that defined my entire family.

I never thought it possible to have someone who understood me, who was different.

Before I knew it, the tears were coming down my face faster than I could stop them. Andromeda noticed, then wrapped her arms tight around me.

"Oh, dear, it's alright. I'm sure this is all quite a shock to you," she whispered, stroking my hair. "It's certainly a shock to me! I remember hearing that your parents had had a daughter years ago, but I would never have been permitted to meet you. While I'm sorry that we're meeting under such unfortunate circumstances, I'm glad I get the chance nonetheless."

I nodded, wiping my eyes and nose with my shirt sleeve. "I guess this means you're my aunt? And Ted's my uncle?"

"And I'm your cousin!" Tonks exclaimed from outside the door. When she bounded into the room, her hair was still lilac, but it was long and curly and fell to her waist. I laughed.

"Yeah, I guess we are. But, if we're going to be family, I have to know…how do you do that with your hair?"

She threw her head back and laughed. "Ah, I'm a Metamorphmagus. And, no, I can't teach you how to become one, so you'll have to stick to the boxed hair dye, I'm afraid."

Andromeda's jaw dropped and she laughed out loud. Her laugh reminded me of my mother's; quiet, light, almost musical. I shook my head.

"HOW did you know? Does it look that bad?" I asked, holding out the ends for her to see.

"No! It looks great, but your ears and the sides of your neck still match the hair," Andromeda said. "Next time you decide to dye it, I'll give you something to cover them up."

"Or, you could just do this, Mum," Tonks said plainly, pulling out her wand and pointing it at my head. "Colovaria."

All of a sudden, my hair felt like it was covered in ice cold water. I jumped up and looked in the mirror to see what exactly Tonks had done to my head. My hair was still jet black, but it was more evenly colored and had a bluish overtone now. The blond section underneath looked almost white in contrast. I admired her handiwork as she sidled up to me.

"Looks pretty good, doesn't it, cuz?"

I smiled at her, then at Andromeda, then back at my reflection in the mirror.

"Yeah. Pretty damn good, I'd reckon."


	5. Once in a lifetime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tonks convinces Cass to go on an adventure.

After that day, I'd pretty much moved into Tonks's house.

After I discovered that Andromeda was my aunt and that Tonks could color my hair whenever and however I wanted, I set up shop in their basement, next to Ted's writing desk. I'd often hear him writing late into the evening, humming to jazz music and clicking away on his typewriter softly. Every night, we'd say the same thing to on another.

"'Night, Cassie."

"'Night, Ted."

"That's Uncle Ted to you."

I laughed every time. It was nice to have a family that actually wanted me around and understood me. Not to mention the fact that Tonks was the cool older sister I'd always wished I had. When she wasn't on duty as an Auror, we'd spend the evenings sitting on her parent's back porch, drinking whiskey sodas and listening to David Bowie and Talking Heads. I'd introduced her to Speaking in Tongues and she absolutely loved it.

"Y'know there's a film of them playing this record? I'd seen a tape of it in that shop where you met me," I remarked. "I almost stole it."

Tonks shot up from her chair. "Why didn't you? I haven't seen too many movies, but I'd love to see that one! Merlin, can you imagine seeing David Byrne on that tiny little screen…"

"What d'you say we try to find a copy somewhere?" I asked her. "Come on, we'll Apparate into London, see if we can't find a video store."

She considered this for a moment, then extended her hand. I took it, and we vanished into the air. When we got back, we were hardly able to contain our excitement.

"What's got you two all smiling?" Andromeda asked us from the kitchen. She and Ted were sitting at the table drinking tea and reading. In my whole life, I'd never seen two people so comfortable with one another. I could only hope I'd find my Ted someday, if I hadn't already.

"We're going to watch a movie, that's what!" Tonks exclaimed, brandishing the copy of Stop Making Sense that we'd found buried in a milk crate in a north London video store.

Andromeda and Ted laughed.

"I'd never seen a movie until…well, until your father and I left Hogwarts and the wizarding world behind," Andromeda remarked. "What was the first movie we saw together, Ted? That one with those horrid boys all dressed in white?"

"A Clockwork Orange, dear," Ted reminded her.

Tonks gasped. "The first movie you two saw together was A Clockwork Orange? Real romantic, Dad, real romantic indeed!"

"Yeah, Uncle Ted, I'm not sure why you picked that one," I chimed in. "I'm sure there had to be, what, three other movies playing on any given night? Given the choice of, say, four different films, you picked A Clockwork Orange as a date movie?"

Ted raised his eyebrows at me.

"I'm not sure what surprises me more: the fact that you just called me Uncle Ted or that you know what A Clockwork Orange even is."

I walked over to the kitchen table and gave my uncle a kiss on the cheek. His face turned red and Andromeda beamed.

"Might I remind you that I spent the better part of the summer living under bridges with books as my only companions," I said teasingly. "I bet I've read things that'd make your hair stand on end."

Ted smiled. "I have no doubt about that, Cassie. Andy, I'm going to write for a bit downstairs. You coming?"

Andromeda smiled, then followed Ted downstairs. "Just call if you need us, girls," she said.

"Thanks, Andy," I said, winking at her, before Tonks dragged me over to the telly and popped the tape in. After about twenty seconds, the title cards bearing the title Stop Making Sense splashed across the screen. We both squealed with delight.

"I've never even seen a live concert," I said. "Or been to a sports event that wasn't a Hogwarts quidditch match. Even watching this on a tiny screen in your house is enough for me!"

We both turned our heads back to the screen to see David Byrne tapping his feet and strumming his guitar to Psycho Killer. We both sang along and swayed to the music, laughing uncontrollably as Tonks attempted to mimic Byrne's dance moves and ended up knocking a stack of magazines onto the floor.

"You know what we should do? We should find a way to get to the Quidditch World Cup!" she exclaimed.

I eyed her incredulously. "There's no way we could get in! People plan their trips to the Cup for months in advance. I'm sure my family's got a private box courtesy of the Minister for Magic himself, and besides, I don't have any money!"

Tonks cocked her eyebrow at me. "You might not have any money, but you've got a cousin who works for the Ministry and knows quite a few people who could help us out. What'd you say? You and me, the Quidditch World Cup, all the firewhiskey our hearts desire?"

I shook my head, unable to believe my luck. "Yeah, alright. You're on, Tonks. Let's do it."

Just three weeks later, Tonks and I were bidding Andromeda and Ted farewell as we prepared to head to the Cup. Somehow one of Tonks's co-workers in the Auror office not only gave her the weekend off to go to the Cup, but gave us both free tickets to the match.

"You girls had better promise to be safe!" Andromeda exclaimed. "No talking to strangers, no accepting drinks from strangers, and if I find out you've done ANY gambling-"

"Relax, Mum, you forget that I'm an Auror," Tonks said, planting a kiss on her cheek. "What could possibly go wrong?"

I nodded. "She's right, Andy. We'll be perfectly safe. We'll be back in the morning, you won't even notice we're gone."

"Oh, I doubt that," Ted remarked. "The lack of singing, dancing, knocking over magazines. You'll definitely be missed."

Tonks and I bounded over to Ted and each kissed him on the cheek.

"Bye Dad. We'll be sure to tell you everything about the match!" Tonks said.

"Yeah, the full play-by-play!" I called over as we walked down the street. We waved goodbye to Andy and Ted and headed down the street, lugging our overnight bags behind us.

"So, you ready?" I asked.

Tonks smiled. "Not quite. We have one quick stop to make before we go. Take my hand."

I did, and we vanished into the air.

We landed outside Gringotts.

"We can't very well spend a night out without any gold on us, can we?" she asked, winking at me. I smiled back, but felt uneasy. If she thought for one second that she'd be paying for anything for me tonight, she was mistaken.

"Tonks, I don't have any money. My parents-"

"Emptied your vault, I know. Mine, however, isn't empty, and I make good money for an Auror," she said, grasping my hands. "You said you'd never been to a sporting event that wasn't at school. Let this whole thing," she gestured with her hands, "be my treat."

I shook my head, but smiled. "If you insist. Lead the way."

We got into Gringotts, identified ourselves to the Head Goblin, and headed down to Tonks's vault – number 302. She bounded in and I followed suit. Inside, there were three piles of gold Galleons, about three hundred Sickles and five hundred Knuts. Tonks grabbed a handful from each pile and got back into the car with the goblin.

As I watched her count the gold in her hands, I couldn't help but wonder if my vault was truly empty. After all, I hadn't gone to check when my parents kicked me out, and maybe there would be something small for me to take out…

"I'd like to visit my vault," I blurted out. "Cassiopeia Malfoy, number 692."

The Head Goblin nodded and we took off. Tonks looked at me, wide-eyed.

"Cass, are you sure? I don't mind treating you tonight, really! It's no trouble, you're family-"

"No, Tonks, I really need to see if my vault's been emptied," I said. "I haven't been to Diagon Alley since my parents threw me out, and I…I just really need to know."

She smiled and took my hand. "Well, if they did decide to empty it all out, know that you've got family who will help you. I'll help you. I don't want you to forget that."

I nodded. I did know that. At least, I think I did.

We stopped suddenly in front of my vault. I fished around in my jacket pocket for my key, finding it at the very bottom. I held it in my hand and took a deep breath.

"Alrighty, Mum and Dad. Let's see what the damage is," I muttered to myself.

With Tonks at my side, I turned the key and pushed open the vault door. When it was fully open, I almost collapsed.

It was full.

They had forgotten to empty it.

All my money was still there. Glittering piles of Galleons, Sickles up against the walls and Knuts spanning all across the width of the vault. I was smiling so wide I thought my face would split in two. I looked at Tonks, who was smiling just as wide.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Help me empty this vault before my parents do!" I exclaimed.

"Are you mad? We'll never be able to take it with us! Just take enough for tonight and to get your books for school," Tonks said, being more sensible than I. "We'll come back for the rest later."

I nodded. She was probably right. We each took a handful of Galleons, two handfuls of Sickles and several Knuts and threw them into my little coin purse inside my bag. After that, we were set. It was time to head to the Cup.

After leaving Gringotts, Tonks completely weighed down by gold and me completely weightless and giddy from the fact that I actually had money, we grasped hands and vanished into the air once more. Quidditch World Cup, here we come.


	6. This must be the place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cass and Tonks arrive at the Cup, meet friends old and new, and have unexpected reunions.

THUD!

"You're really not getting any better at that, are you?" Tonks giggled. I picked my head up off the ground and winced in pain. I was never going to be the most graceful at Apparating. I accepted it.

"No, I don't suppose I am," I said. As I stood up and brushed myself off, I surveyed the landscape and experienced what could only be described as pure sensory overload.

The sound of music filled the air – drums, bagpipes, singing – and we could probably hear a dozen different songs at once. Everyone was wandering about the campgrounds, embracing their friends, keeping watch over their children, purchasing their wares for the impending match, and everything in between. I kept turning my head every which way, afraid I would miss something amazing if I turned away for one second.

Suddenly, Tonks pulled me out of my euphoria with a squeal.

"Wotcher, Weasley!"

A guy with curly, red hair and freckles whipped around, his face partially painted green.

"Merlin's beard! Tonks, is that you?"

She squealed again, her hair turning the same shade of bright green as the guy's face and dashed toward him, throwing her arms around his neck and spinning around in his arms.

"I had no idea you were going to be here! Why didn't you write?" she asked him.

He grinned. "It all happened really suddenly. Dad got tickets for us all at the last minute and I was able to get away for a week or so, and, well…here we are, I suppose!"

"Well, I'm glad to see a familiar face," Tonks said. "Cass and I just got here. We were looking for the best place to set up camp before we saw you lot."

The guy finally looked over and noticed me. He was cute in a rugged, mountain man sort of way. His skin was tanned and his hair was really messy. His blue eyes were wide, almost bugging out of his face, but what intrigued me most was the tattoo that snaked up the side of his neck. I wasn't totally sure, but it looked almost like a dragon.

He extended his hand. "Charlie Weasley. Nice to meet you. Did Tonks say your name was Cass?"

"She did," I responded, shaking his hand. "Nice to meet you, Charlie. That's a pretty cool tattoo you've got going on there."

He beamed. "Got it a year ago. I live in Romania, I train dragons. Got it as a birthday gift to myself last year. It's definitely a hit with the Romanian girls, but Mum certainly isn't happy about it."

"Yeah, somehow I don't see Molly liking a giant dragon tattoo across her son's neck," Tonks remarked. Charlie rolled his eyes and turned around.

"Oi! You lot! For those of you who don't remember, this is my friend Tonks. She was in my year at Hogwarts, but in Hufflepuff," Charlie called out. A crowd of redheads turned around.

One was very clearly Charlie's father. He was tall and stocky, with twinkling eyes and a tall, brown hat. The rest had to be his brothers. One was tall, taller than Charlie and his father, with a ponytail and fang-shaped earring hanging from his left ear. Another was shorter with tight, curly hair and a serious expression, and another was average height with a crooked nose and wavy red hair, his mouth full of bread.

"Bill Weasley," said the ponytailed one.

"Percy, pleasure to meet you," said the serious one.

"Ron Weasley," said the one stuffing his face. "You go to Hogwarts?"

"I do," I said. "I kind of keep to myself. I'm Cass."

Three more redheads turned around. One was a girl, with waist-length hair and rosy cheeks. The other two were clearly twins. One of them had a pointed jaw and a large nose, the other had a more curved jaw and wide, brown eyes. They were both handsome, no doubt about that. I knew exactly who they were.

"We're-"

"Fred and George Weasley," I responded. "Beaters for Gryffindor?"

The twins exchanged looks. Fred looked at me quizzically.

"I was a Keeper for Slytherin for a few years. Name Cass ring a bell?"

Their eyes widened, their memories clearly stirring.

"Oh, yeah! You were one of the best! We never stood a chance against Slytherin if you were on the pitch, that's for sure," George remarked. I wasn't sure if he was being sincere or trying to flirt or what. My eyes were on Fred, who kept giving me that quizzical look from before.

"Yeah, those were the days. Anyway, I'm sure we'll see you later? And if not…well, have a good time tonight!" I said, waving goodbye to everyone before setting off with Tonks once more.

"Charlie and I were mates at school," she said. "He was the prefect, then Head Boy. I was nineteen types of trouble. We were the perfect pair."

I laughed. "Yeah, I don't really know any of them too well. I know Fred and George because of Quidditch, and because they're nineteen types of trouble as well. To be honest, I keep my head down at school quite a bit. My brother's such a prat that I try to not associate myself with him or the Malfoy name."

Tonks poked my ribs. "And now you don't have to!"

I rolled my eyes. "Now I don't have to."

We kept walking until we found a large enough space to throw down our bags and set up our tent. Tonks wanted to pitch the tent the Muggle way, as she claimed to be quite good at it, but I lacked the patience or ability to follow directions for that. With a wave of our wands, the ten lifted ever so slightly off the ground, pitched itself, then touched back down.

"C'mon, let's get set up inside, have a drink, have a bite, relax before the match!" Tonks exclaimed.

I agreed. While the hike to our spot was only about twenty-five minutes, I was still strangely exhausted. When I ducked into the tent, I was thrilled at the sight.

Like almost all magic tents, this one was much bigger on the inside. While it appeared to only sleep two people, it could easily fit four or five. The carpet was deep purple and there were gold tapestries with a paisley print lining the walls and ceiling. There were a few chairs around a small wooden table in the back corner as well, in case we didn't want to sit in our hammocks all day.

"It's not much, but I'm pretty thrilled about it," Tonks said plainly, flinging herself into her hammock. I grinned.

"It's absolutely brilliant! Really Tonks, it's amazing. I can't believe we're really here!" I exclaimed. "I'M AT THE QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP! WITH MY DARLING COUSIN WHOM I ADORE!"

Tonks burst out laughing. "Will you quiet down?"

"NO! I'M AT THE QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP AND WE'RE GOING TO CHEER ON IRELAND AND DRINK FIREWHISKEY AND HAVE THE TIME OF OUR LIIIIVVVVEEESSS!" I bellowed, spinning around the tent before falling into Tonks's hammock, almost on top of her. Her eyes widened, and her laughter became uncontrollable, as mine did.

After a few minutes of our rollicking laughter, I head footsteps and voices outside our tent. All of a sudden, a figure with dark, wavy hair poked his head into our tent.

"As soon as I heard the laughing, I had a feeling it was you!" the figure said, meeting my eyes.

"CEDRIC DIGGORY, AS I LIVE AND BREATHE!" I bellowed again, hurtling toward my friend and nearly taking him down in a huge bear hug. His laughter intermingled with mine and Tonks's. I don't think I'd ever heard a sweeter sound in my life.

"Cass, I had no idea you were going to be here! When did you – how did you get tickets? I heard about what happened with your parents-"

I grinned, gesturing to Tonks. "My cousin here happens to be an Auror and is quite well-connected. I'm guessing your dad got tickets for you lot?"

"Yeah, he got tickets for us all. We're camped across the hill if you want to come say hello to everyone," Cedric said. When he stood up after being tackled, I really looked at him, taking in all his features and how much he'd changed over the summer.

His chestnut hair was wavier and a bit longer, falling into his hazel eyes. His already straight, white teeth seemed to sparkle in the light, and his already olive-toned skin was evenly tanned, probably from practicing Quidditch all summer. Cedric and I had Charms and Potions together all throughout school, and our lighthearted banter was one of the main reasons I survived our Potions O.W.L. two years ago.

I turned around to face Tonks. "You want to walk around a bit more? Say hello to some of my friends?"

Tonks shrugged. "Fine with me, but let's not be gone too long. I want to try to get a lie-in before we take off for the match."

I nodded in agreement and the three of us left the tent. As we walked, Cedric filled me in on his summer; as I expected, he'd spent the summer between Quidditch practice and applying for internships at the Ministry of Magic. Whenever I pressed him about what he wanted to do after Hogwarts, he always smiled, laughed and avoided the question entirely, probably because he was so brilliant, he could go anywhere and do anything he wanted and he didn't want to brag. Cedric was my friend, but his modesty really did get to be a pain in the ass sometimes.

After a few minutes of catching up, he leaned over to whisper in my ear.

"Listen, Cass, I know I said it before, but I'm really sorry about what happened to you this summer. If I had known sooner, I would've written and you could've stayed with us, you know my parents would've let you stay without a second thought."

I looked up at him, a little confused.

"I appreciate that, Ced, I really do. But, how did you even know what happened to me? I didn't tell anyone. Well, that's not entirely true, I didn't tell anyone except-"

"Cass? Good god, Cass, is that you?"

My head whipped forward to address whoever was speaking to me.

Daniel.


	7. See you again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cass and Daniel talk. It goes about as well as one might expect.

Another annoying thing about Cedric: Daniel is his best friend.

"Oh my God, Daniel!" I yelled, charging toward him and throwing myself at his chest. I truly have no idea why I did that – it was purely instinctive. I probably looked like a desperate teenage girl, clinging to her boyfriend after some time apart. Probably because that's exactly what I was.

"Daniel, I'm so happy to see you, I had no idea you'd be here, how are you?" I asked, my words spilling out of my mouth at lightning speed. I looked up at him, searching his face for a response.

His lips formed a thin line, a half-hearted smile.

"I'm alright, Cass. I'm alright. The better question is, how are you?"

I was silent. I didn't really want to talk about what happened three months ago, especially not on this day, where I was supposed to be happy and carefree and having the time of my life with my cousin and best friend. But I knew he'd want to.

"Yeah, I'm alright. I'm here, how bad could I be?" I chuckled, trying to diffuse some of the tension. I turned around to face Tonks, who was just about as stunned as I was to see Daniel. I told her about him and our relationship over the summer; how he was my second boyfriend, the first Muggle-born I'd ever dated and the first person I'd ever been in love with. She knew I was fraught with nerves about seeing him when school resumed, and she could see this unexpected reunion had sent me into a tailspin.

Luckily, someone else diffused the tension for me.

"Merlin's beard! Cassiopeia Malfoy, is that you under all that raven hair?" Amos Diggory hollered, clapping his hand down on my shoulder and wrapping me in a hug. Amos was like the father I wished I had; warm, charming, always more than willing to brag about how accomplished his only child was.

I returned the hug. "In the flesh, Mr. Diggory, in the flesh. I wish I'd known you and Ced would be here, otherwise we would've tried to come earlier. This is my cousin, Tonks. She's an Auror and we decided to come at the last minute."

"Well, we're thrilled you're both here! Either you care for a drink, something to eat? There's plenty of room, put up your feet! I'm sure you're tired if you just got here!" Amos implored us.

"I, for one, am rather tired, so I think I might go back lie down for a bit in our tent. Lovely meeting you all," Tonks said, waving goodbye. "Especially you, Daniel! Cassie's told me all about you! You're about as cute as I imagined you'd be!"

I glared at her, hexing her a million times over in my brain. If she thought her leaving would be a truly romantic reunion between Daniel and I, she had another thing coming.

I sat down next to Daniel on a small, blue couch in one of the Diggory's tents. Two of Cedric's other friends, Gethin McCarthy and Annamaria Dickensen of Hufflepuff, were sitting opposite us on a white, fluffy couch. As soon as they saw who Daniel was with, they said hello and quickly vacated the tent.

Daniel sat up straight, trying to appear casual and failing miserably. He was a Ravenclaw, but he and Cedric had grown up together. They were both prefects, and we met when I would sneak out of the Slytherin dormitories to bring Cedric his favorite snacks and bother him on his rounds. After a few weeks of me plying him with Chocolate Frogs and Sugar Quills, he asked me out. When we parted at Platform 9 ¾ back in May, he told me that he loved me.

I watched as he looked down at his hands, which were tanned and cracking. His hair was usually blonde, but shimmered like silver from all the exposure to the sun. If my hair wasn't jet black, we probably would've looked more like siblings than lovers.

Lovers. I wondered if we could even be called that anymore.

My head snapped back into reality. Someone had to break the silence.

"Dan, I-"

"I didn't hear from you for three months."

Silence again. I knew he was right. I left him a letter saying I would write again when I was safe, but I was never really safe. I couldn't lie to him and worry him like that. I thought I was doing the right thing, but it was probably the stupid, selfish thing.

"Daniel, I had to stay hidden. I've told you enough about my parents to know that I had to lie low for a while. I know it wasn't fair to you and I feel terrible about it-"

"What were you doing that whole time?"

I blinked.

"You know Tonks? With the colorful hair? Turns out, she's my cousin. Her mother is my mother's sister. My aunt," I said, my voice trailing off. "Tonks's father was Muggle-born. Her mother was disowned by her family for being with him. Turns out I have family who actually understands me. Who understands us."

The corners of his lips turned up slightly. "She said you'd only been staying there for about a month and a half or so. Where were you the rest of that time?"

At this point, I couldn't lie. I took a deep breath and told him.

"I was in London. I was…well, I was basically homeless. Sleeping under bridges, stealing clothes and food wherever I could. Obliviating anyone who caught me. Tonks met me in a secondhand shop, mere minutes away from getting arrested."

Maybe it was my imagination, but I heard the tiniest laugh escape Dan's lips. "You lived under bridges and stole clothes and were a vagabond for two months…instead of coming back to find me?"

I put my head in my hands. "Daniel, please. In case that letter wasn't detailed enough, I was given an hour to pack up my entire life and get out, and when I came to your house you weren't there. I tried to come in but-"

I stopped myself short. I remembered Sirius.

"But what?" he asked.

"But I didn't want to barge in uninvited, cut off from my family and begging for a place to stay," I said plainly. It was almost the truth. "Besides, you're mother's a Muggle. She wouldn't understand and she'd probably be scared. When I said I would be in touch when it was safe, I meant it. It just…was never safe. I had to stay away. I had to. I wish you understood that."

"I do, believe me Cass, but I don't really understand why you didn't want to come stay with me," he whispered. "What happened? Did you meet someone else?"

I shot up from the seat.

"No! Daniel, I did NOT meet someone else! Is it so impossible for you to believe that my family is that dangerous and powerful and evil that they would hurt you? Or hurt me for being with you?" I shouted. I'd never shouted at him before. I immediately regretted doing it as soon as the words flew out of my mouth. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in.

"Look, if you can believe anything I've said to you so far, please believe this: I wouldn't have done what I did if I didn't think it absolutely necessary. For my own sake and sanity, I needed to get away from all things magic for a while. My parents are powerful, well-connected people, but they're connected to some of the worst people in the magical world," I said, as plain as could be. "People who want people like you dead."

He was silent. I could tell he wanted to fight me, but he didn't dare. He was being completely logical – I should have tried to come back to him – but I still felt like I had done what was best. He didn't know my parents – who they associated with behind closed doors, the beliefs they held, the things they would do, and had done, to Muggles and Muggle-born wizards.

I wished I could've been like Andromeda, risking everything for love and having it pay off in the sweetest way, but I wasn't.

"Cassie," he started, his voice low. "I don't want to fight with you."

"Neither do I. So let's not fight."

"I don't want to fight with you right now. I think I have every right to be upset about what you did."

"You do. You have every right to feel the way you do. But I do too. I did what I thought was best. I don't own a Time-Turner, I can't go back and change any of it. But I did what I thought I needed to. And if it helps," I said, taking his hand but not meeting his eyes, "there wasn't a day that went by where I didn't miss you."

He smiled that same, thin-lipped smile from before. He squeezed my hand.

"I'm sure you did. I missed you too, Cass. I missed you so much I could barely think or eat or breathe. I kept thinking about what I'd do when I saw you again. How I'd feel when I smelled your perfume again, or hear your laugh, or tell you jokes as we suffer through History of Magic," he said, a light laugh escaping his lips. "As upset as I am about what happened, I'm just happy that you're here and you're safe and you're happy."

I blinked.

"I know. And now I'm here, and we're together, and we can watch Ireland kick Bulgaria's arse in a few hours?"

He laughed. "No, I don't think we can. Because Bulgaria's going to destroy Ireland."

"No way! I bet Tonks five Galleons that Ireland would win, but Krum would catch the Snitch, I don't want to lose that money," I said, giggling.

"That's rubbish, Krum will catch the Snitch and Bulgaria will win! Besides, it's not like five Galleons means anything to you, you're richer than Midas," he shot back, clearly intending that last bit to be a joke. My vault at Gringotts may have been filled with gold, but I was still disowned, cut off. For all I knew, it would be emptied the next time I went back.

"Right, five Galleons is nothing," I said, as casually as possible. "I should've bet fifteen. I'm going to go find Tonks, then we'll all meet up later, yeah?"

He nodded. As I got up to head out of the tent, I felt him pull my arm back down, throwing me off balance. Once I was back on the couch, he kissed me slowly.

His lips were warm and familiar. He tasted like cinnamon and smelled like fresh linens and coffee. At one point in time, it was my favorite scent in the world. Now, I just wasn't sure.

After pulling away for a second, I kissed him back, deeply and hungrily, trying to convince myself that everything was going to be fine.

As promised, Cedric, Daniel, Gethin and Annamaria all came by our tent around eight. When Tonks and I emerged from the tent, my face was painted with little shamrocks and her hair was bright green and styled in a curly, pageboy cut, perfectly matching the Irish flags that were tied around our necks and billowing out behind us.

As we walked, Tonks stopped to tie her shoe. I hung back, waiting for her.

"What are you waiting for?" she whispered. "Go walk with him! Talk to him!"

I shrugged. "I just want everything to be normal and fun for one night. He wanted to have this long, drawn-out discussion about why I didn't write over the summer which I know would've turned into a row. I just want everything to be perfect."

She stood up and put her hand on my shoulder. "Alright, so don't talk about it. I want this night to be perfect just as much as you do. I also know that what happened to you is something that you don't much like talking about, even to me."

I cocked an eyebrow. "So?"

"So don't talk about it! This is supposed to be our night, the night where we drink as much firewhiskey as we damn well want and I win five Galleons from you because you seem awfully convinced that Ireland's going to win and I think you're mad! Just go walk with him, talk with him, and be a normal couple. Just for a night. You can fight later."

"But I don't want to fight!"

"Too bad! And here's what I'm going to do to make sure you do everything I'm telling you," she said, giving me the same smirk as the day we met.

I could feel my face contorting. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to go find Charlie and all them. I'll find you later, where you'll tell me everything," she said, winking at me and Disapparating on the spot.

I turned every which way, thinking that this was some kind of joke.

"Tonks? Tonks, where the hell are you?" I muttered. "Goddamnit…"

I didn't have a choice. I ran up ahead to where Cedric, Daniel and the rest were waiting. I sidled up to Daniel, slipping my hand into his. He looked surprised but squeezed my hand with a smile on his face. I addressed the group.

"So, we ready to watch Ireland kick Bulgaria's arse?"


	8. Red-haired boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cass dances, drinks, sees her father, and chats up a certain Weasley twin during the match.

"Alright, I've got three butterbeers, one water and one Ogden's Old and ginger beer," I called out, passing out the Butterbeers to Cedric, Gethin, and Annamaria, the water to Daniel, and saving the firewhiskey for myself. I turned to Daniel and offered my cup.

"A toast?" I proposed.

"What's the occasion?" he asked me, leaning in.

I considered for a moment. "Being together. To being Cass and Daniel, and everyone else be damned."

We clinked glasses, followed by a quick kiss. I blushed, knowing our friends witnessed the entire exchange.

"Get a room!" Gethin called out.

"Yeah, Cass, I don't need to see you snogging my best mate!" Cedric taunted. I whacked him in the chest, my silent way of telling him to shut the hell up.

Dan and I looked at each other and laughed out loud, kissing again. I took a sip of my drink after. As the burning liquid slid down my throat, a smile spread across my entire face. Firewhiskey and ginger beer was my favorite drink, and I'd been known to let loose at parties in the Slytherin common room after a few too many glasses of it.

After about ten more minutes of milling about, a voice boomed over the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen . . . welcome! Welcome to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!" bellowed the voice. I couldn't get a decent look at who was speaking, but Cedric said his name was Ludo Bagman, some former professional Quidditch player who now worked for the Ministry.

The voice called out over the crowd again.

"And now, without further ado, allow me to introduce . . . the Bulgarian National Team Mascots!"

As we peered over the railings of the box to see whoever was coming onto the field, I could see Cedric, Gethin, and even Daniel leaning farther over the railing. When I turned back to see what they were staring at, I saw a dozen dancing young women, with long, white-blonde hair and pale, almost translucent skin. They were beautiful, more beautiful than any women I'd ever seen, and while I couldn't tell what exactly they had done to all the men in the stadium, I could tell it was powerful magic.

"Hey! Dan, Ced, how'd you like to fall fifty stories and break every bone in your bodies?" I called to them. All of a sudden, they broke free of their trance. I laughed. Cedric looked around wildly, clearly unaware that he was under the spell of a dozen veela.

"What-what was that – no, I don't want to fall over, why would you ask me that?" he asked me. I laughed again.

"No reason. Just if you keep doing…whatever it was you were doing, you'll do exactly that," I laughed, trying to confuse him as much as possible.

I looked around, experiencing the same sensory overload I felt when Tonks and I arrived. I was surrounded by a sea of crimson and green and gold and black. Striped scarves with Bulgaria's colors and oversized leprechaun hats adorned almost every person in the arena. The cheers of the crowd as Ireland's mascots – leprechauns – darted through the air, gold coins falling through the arena like rain. I laughed aloud as Daniel and Cedric used their empty cups, hats, and hands to catch as much leprechaun gold as possible.

"Isn't it brilliant?" Daniel asked me, handing me a handful of coins.

"It is," I said, my smile wide. "It really is."

The game started twenty minutes later and moved at break-neck pace the entire time.

I had never seen Quidditch played at such a high speed before. I was definitely going to need to ice my neck after tonight, since it was turning nonstop. Ireland's Chasers were unmatched, but Bulgaria still had that wunderkind Krum. Before I knew it, Ireland was in the lead, leaving Bulgaria to trail them thirty-zero.

"I'm going to go grab another drink, you want anything?" I asked Daniel. He shook his head. I kissed him on the cheek, then bounded out of our box to grab another, much larger Ogden's Old and ginger beer.

As I bounded down the steps, I wondered where Tonks was. I knew she probably was hanging out with Charlie and the Weasleys, but we were going to have to reunite at some point. I hope she's having a ball, I thought. I feel bad that we aren't spending this whole night together though.

I could see the bar about fifty feet away, but something caught my eye and distracted me. Someone caught my eye and I forgot what I'd even come down there for.

"Lucius, I really can't thank you enough for your contribution to St. Mungo's this year, you really were far too generous, you always are- "

"Cornelius, you know it is my pleasure and my duty to give to such charitable causes. You needn't mention it again."

Right in front of the bar, chatting up the Minister for Magic, was my father. By his side was my brother.

I hadn't seen either of them…well, since the day I left. I had a strong feeling they would be here tonight, but I was so drunk off the happiness of being here with my friends that I'd simply forgotten about it. Get a grip, Cassie, I thought to myself. He'll probably just ignore you, which is for the best. Just get your drink and go back to your friends and Daniel and forget you saw him.

With as much confidence as I could muster, I held my head up, pushed my hair out of my face, and walked quickly over to the bar. Unfortunately, I had to squeeze past my fatherto actually catch the barman's eye.

"One Ogden's Old and ginger, please," I called over to him. "The largest one you've got."

Out of the corner of my eye, my father's head turned over his left shoulder. If I were completely sober, I probably wouldn't have done anything. But I wasn't. I turned over my right shoulder and looked him in the eye.

I never really noticed how dark my father's eyes were. They were gray, but I noticed that they were a cold gray, a soulless gray. You could stare into the man's eyes for hours, searching for something more, but you'd never find it. My father probably didn't even have a soul. Just a bag of bones and cold, cold blood, covered by pale skin and expensive robes. All style, no substance.

He held my gaze, sizing me up until the barman came back over to me. At first, I didn't think he recognized me with the face paint and black hair, but his eyes darted down to my shoulder, where a blond section of my hair lay.

"That'll be twelve Sickles, love," the barman said. I handed him the money and took my drink, taking a huge gulp as I turned around. Once again, my horrible luck kicked in as I choked on the sheer amount of firewhiskey that I'd just ingested.

Once again, my father turned around to see what all the ruckus was. The Minister for Magic even craned his neck to look.

"My goodness, girl, are you quite alright?" Cornelius Fudge asked incredulously, as if my coughing within his orbit was some sort of personal attack on his existence. Nevertheless, I smiled at him.

"Forgive me, Minister," I said, flashing a smile. "I'm quite alright. Thank you for asking."

I smiled a thin-lipped smile, gave my father one more glance for good measure, then walked away. That wasn't so bad, was it Cass? I thought to myself.

Just as I was about to walk back up to our box, I felt someone step on the flag around my neck. I stumbled back.

"Watch it, you git," I growled, whipping around.

My little brother sneered at me.

"Didn't think you'd show your face in the wizarding world again, let alone at the Quidditch World Cup," Draco taunted. His hair was longer, and his robes were pristine. My parents were definitely grooming him to be the perfect, pureblood son.

"Why would I do that?" I asked him, playing dumb. He rolled his eyes.

"Who're you here with? Not like I need to ask, you're probably with that mudblood Light. You're lucky I won't tell Mother and Father that I've seen you," he said. I shrugged.

"I already saw Dad. He gave me a look when he was talking to the Minister," I said plainly. "Seeing me probably threw off his whole 'Cassiopeia is traveling and won't return until the start of the fall term at Hogwarts' story. He did tell one of those, didn't he?"

I jumped up on the steps, so that I was standing above him. I sipped my drink and eyed him carefully, choosing my words in my mind.

"I won't take up too much more of your time, baby brother," I said, checking my watch. "Give Mum my best – oh and tell her I met her sister! Yeah, our aunt Andromeda is the loveliest. She and her husband - that's our uncle - took me in over the summer. It's nice to have family that's so accepting of others. Sad you'll never know what that's like."

He smirked, but I could tell he was a little surprised. I don't think he knew that our mother had another sister. With that, I walked away. As soon as I was out of sight, I almost collapsed.

Leave it to my disgusting little brother to needle me like that, I thought. What happened to the sweet, funny, curious little boy I took care of when we were little? The one I chased through the hedges and read stories to? What happened to him?

As I leaned on the staircase to get up to our box, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I jumped at the person's cold touch.

"Cass! It is Cass, isn't it?" Charlie Weasley asked me, his forehead beaded with sweat and his smile wide, probably from the large firewhiskey he was also carrying. "I was coming to grab another drink. Tonks was just saying she was going to try and find you. You want to come up to our box for a bit, say hi?"

I blinked rapidly. I thought about Daniel, what he'd say if I was gone too long or if he found out I'd wandered off. He'd worry, as he always did. But this night was supposed to be my night out with Tonks. I think I deserved to spend a little more of it with her.

"Yeah, Charlie, hi. I'll absolutely come up. I was grabbing another drink and then I…" My voice trailed off. "Needed some air. Tonks didn't say where you all were sitting, so you'll have to lead the way!"

Charlie smiled and turned around to keep climbing the stairs. Little did I know, we were about to climb to the top box.

"Did you bring me another firewhiskey, Weasley?" Tonks called over to Charlie when we walked in.

He grinned. "I didn't. I brought you something better," he said, stepping aside to reveal me.

"CASSIE! YOU'RE HERE!" she called out, slurring the words ever so slightly. Her hair was now the same red as the Weasley's and reached her waist. A stranger would've definitely thought she was one of them.

"Hey, you, I'm so glad to see you," I breathed, gulping down my drink and bracing myself against the railing of the box. Tonks reached out and shook my shoulder.

"You alright? What's going on? What's happened?" she asked, searching my face.

I shook my head. "I'm fine, really. I've… just seen my father and brother."

Her smile faded. "Merlin's beard, are you alright? Did they say anything? Did you say anything?"

I shook my head again. "I'm fine, just shaken up. My dad didn't say a word, but my brother had all sorts of lovely things to say," my voice oozing sarcasm. Tonks smiled at me and wrapped me up in a hug.

"You can tell me later, when we're back at the tent. That is, if you're not totally sloshed. Oi, look who's decided to join us!"

Bill, Fred, George, and Mr. Weasley all looked up to wave at me. Fred and George made room in between them for me to stand. I crossed the box and stood in between them.

"What's in the cup?" George asked me, eyeing my nearly empty drink.

"My drink of choice. Ogden's Old and ginger beer," I replied.

"Fancy giving me a taste?" George asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"I would, but given that your dad is right behind me, I'll probably have to pass," I said.

George laughed. "I tried, Freddy! Can't say I didn't!"

Fred laughed as well, his laughter ringing in my ears. "That I cannot, Georgie! That I cannot!"

After a few minutes of awkward silence, I called over to Tonks.

"How's it feel knowing you're going to owe me five Galleons after this game is over?" I asked. She shook her head.

"Game's not over yet, cuz! The night is still young!"

I laughed. Fred and George exchanged looks.

"Were you two gambling? Did you join Bagman's betting pool?" George asked.

I shook my head. "No, just a friendly wager between cousins. I bet her five Galleons that Ireland would win, but Krum- "

"Would catch the Snitch?" Fred piped up. I turned to face him. His cheeks were painted green and white, and his long, flaming red hair was sticking to his forehead and neck. I never really noticed it, but he was really handsome, in a chaotic, haphazard sort of way.

"Yeah, actually. That's exactly what I'd predicted," I said, looking him up and down. He smirked, then went back to watching the game.

The next ten minutes of the game flew by. Ireland was still leading, but the Bulgarian Beaters were playing dirty and the veela and the leprechauns were getting on each other's nerves. I was starting to grow a little tired, but knew I had to see this through to the end.

"You know, you don't strike me as a Malfoy," Fred whispered in my ear.

"That's probably because I'm not a Malfoy," I said, not meeting his gaze. "I'm not sure if Tonks told anyone this, but my parents kicked me out in May. Banished me, disowned me, whatever you want to call it. I probably don't seem like a Malfoy because I'm not one. Not anymore, anyway."

He nodded, unsure of what to say. I was thankful for the silence.

"Why'd they kick you out?" he finally asked.

Damnit. Why couldn't he have stayed quiet?

"I don't really like talking about it," I said. That was the only answer he was getting.

"Do your friends know? Like Diggory?"

"The only reason Cedric knows is because my boyfriend told him. He's the reason I got kicked out."

"Ah, you just talked about it!" Fred exclaimed. I shook my head.

"So I did. However, that's all I'm going to say," I replied, taking another gulp of my drink, knocking my head back as I swallowed. Out or the corner of my eye, I could see Fred still smirking.

"You're too nice to be a Malfoy, I'd reckon," he muttered. "And too pretty."

After hearing that, I turned to face him, leaning against the box's railing.

"You think I'm pretty?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow and screwing up my face as I took a long sip of my drink. He laughed.

"Not when you're making a face like that, you're not," he said.

I laughed, then choked on my drink, then spat firewhiskey on his shirt. My eyes widened, and my hand flew to my mouth after I'd realized what I'd done.

"I am so sorry."

He just laughed and laughed. "Is that your way of telling me to not compliment you? If so, it's quite convincing. I'd rather you didn't spit on me if I try to say any more nice things about you."

I shook my head, laughing. "No, that's just me laughing at your boldness, Fred Weasley. And not for anything, my boyfriend thinks it's cute when I make faces like that at him, hence why he's the better man."

"Oh, is that so? Well, he might be the better man, but I'd reckon I'm probably better-looking," he responded, winking at me.

I couldn't figure out why Fred Weasley was flirting with me, but he was. That said, I knew damn well that Fred had a reputation for being overly friendly with every girl who looked at him, so I didn't think too much of it.

"No comment," I said, rolling my eyes. "Besides, you're- "

My train of thought was cut off by Fred's sudden cheering. Not just Fred's, but the entire arena.

"IRELAND WINS!" Ludo Bagman shouted. "KRUM GETS THE SNITCH — BUT IRELAND WINS!"

That phrase was music to my ears. I screamed and pumped my fist in the air as I downed the rest of my drink. The Bulgaria supporters looked dejected, but every Ireland supporter in the arena was bellowing, hugging, kissing, doing anything and everything in celebration of the unexpected win. I leaned over the railing to catch Tonks's eye.

"PAY UP, COUSIN!" I screamed. "PAY! UP!"

Tonks laughed, reached into her jacket pocket, and slapped five Galleons into the palm of my hand. I grinned and pocketed the coins. Meanwhile, Fred and George were doing some sort of victory jig and Bill and Charlie embraced drunkenly, while their brother Ron crossed his arms angrily, clearly upset about the match's outcome.

I angled my way through the ecstatic crowd to where Tonks stood.

"What now? We hanging out a while longer? Or are we going to sleep when we're back?" I asked, having to yell over the crowds.

She grinned. "I don't think we'll be sleeping for a while after this! Charlie's asked if we want to have a drink back at their tents, you fancy it?"

I considered it for a moment. I probably should've gone back to Daniel, as it had just dawned on me that I'd been gone for well over an hour. I'd already spent most of the day with him, and I was having a lot of fun with Tonks and the Weasleys…

"Yeah, I do fancy it. Shall we?"

One thing I learned about Fred and George Weasley that night: they are surprisingly good dancers.

The shock and euphoria over Ireland's win stuck to us like glue, and we were in the Weasley's tent for another hour, drinking, dancing, and everything in between.

As I drank another Ogden's Old and ginger beer and watched Tonks and Charlie do a jig, I felt two strong arms lift me up unexpectedly, causing me to spill my drink.

"HEY! Ogden's and ginger is a precious resource and you just squandered a bit of it," I slurred.

"You're already plastered, Malfoy, it's not like you really need it," Fred countered. He eyed the cup, curious. He looked at me, then back at the cup, then back at me, before bringing the cup to his lips and taking a long, drawn-out sip. As he swallowed, he winced slightly.

"Merlin's beard, that is strong," he groaned. "I've heard the rumors about you at Slytherin's parties, Malfoy. I never thought they were true, but after trying even a sip, I don't doubt them for a second."

Before I could respond, George pulled me away and into a high-stepping, chaotic jig. As we danced, I turned back to Fred.

"And what, exactly, have you heard?" I called, trying to make my voice heard over Bill and Charlie's drunken singing.

He danced over to me, pulling me away from George and spinning me around. "Just that you've got a nasty habit of dancing on tables after one too many Ogden's and gingers, that's all."

Ron's jaw dropped, as did his friend Hermione's (I think that was her name? I couldn't remember). His other friend, Harry – Harry Potter, that is – just snickered. Tonks whistled, her eyes and smile wide. I shook my head.

"I don't know who told you that, but it's entirely true," I slurred again. God, I was drunk. "Besides, you've never been to a Slytherin party, so you wouldn't know, would you, Weasley?"

Fred smiled slyly. "You're right. I haven't been to a Slytherin party. But I'm here. With you. Right now."

Before I could even respond, I heard a resounding "NOW!" before Fred and George hoisted me up onto a table in the middle of the tent, in front of everyone. I stumbled around as I tried to face front.

"C'mon, Cass, show us your moves!" Tonks called.

"Let's see you shake it, Malfoy!" Fred called out, whistling again.

"CASS! CASS! CASS! CASS!" the whole room cheered. My head was spinning. I couldn't stop smiling. I couldn't remember the last time I felt this good.

Before I could even move my feet, I felt another pair of arms pull me down from the table and back to solid ground.

"Everybody, get moving," Mr. Weasley said quickly. "We have to get out of here, now!"


	9. Death and all his friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Relationships and campgrounds crash and burn as Cass prepares to return to Hogwarts.

"Dad, what's going on?"

"Don't ask questions," Mr. Weasley said sharply. "Fred, George, Ginny is your responsibility. Harry, Ron, Hermione, you all need to stick together! Head for the woods, I'll find you once we've got this under control. Bill, Charlie, you come with me."

"Arthur, what's happening?" Tonks asked calmly, in full Auror mode. Mr. Weasley turned to look at her.

"His followers. They're here."

Tonks's eyes widened. "Right. I'll come with you, I'm sure I'll find Kingsley and the rest. Cass, you go straight home. If my parents ask where I am, tell them the truth. They'll want to know. I'll be back as soon as I can be."

My head was spinning. "Of course, Tonks, of course I'll tell them. What the hell is going on?"

Before she could answer, we heard a booming noise, followed by earsplitting screams. I could see flames rising outside the tent, consuming whatever was in their path. Before I knew it, we were all running out of the tent, trying to dodge the flames that were being hurled at people from every angle.

When I emerged, I turned to get a look at what was happening. The Muggle family who ran the campground was hoisted high in the air, clearly bewitched. On the ground beneath them were hooded, robed figures, clad in masks made from what appeared to be human skulls. I knew them in an instant.

Death Eaters. Followers of Lord Voldemort. My father was one of them during the First War. I didn't know too much about his involvement with the Dark Lord, but from what I understood, he was pretty loyal to him, probably a little too loyal. I wondered if he was under one of those masks right now.

Suddenly, I felt a hand on my wrist, pulling me out of my own head.

"CASS! What the hell are you doing out here?"

It was Daniel. Cedric was by his side. They were sweating, out of breath, and their faces were bloodied.

"Dan, what the hell happened? Why are you bleeding? I asked, my voice sounding a million miles away.

He shrugged. "Dodged a curse from one of the masked blokes, fell, got kicked in the head. C'mon, we have to run!"

Having no choice, I took his hand and ran with him. I ran as fast as my feet would carry me, trying to not get trampled by the thousands of sprinting, terrified people. As we ran, I felt my hand slipping out of Daniel's grasp, and no matter how hard I tried to tighten my grip, I just couldn't. My hands were too slick with sweat and I was too out of breath that my hand just slipped away from his.

I kept running, trying to catch up with them, but remembered what Tonks said.

Go straight home. If my parents ask where I am, tell them the truth. They'll want to know.

If one of us didn't come home tonight, Andromeda and Ted would be worried sick, especially if they found out later what had happened. Andromeda's sister was a powerful, loyal Death Eater who had been in Azkaban for years. For all we knew, she'd escaped and was under one of the masks, setting fire to the camp and killing whoever stood in their way.

I heard Daniel's voice, but it was muffled, like he was underwater and trying to speak.

"Cass? Where'd she go? Ced, we have to back for her- "

"Dan, we can't! She knows how to Apparate, she'll get somewhere safe."

"I don't trust her! I have no idea where she'll go! What if she gets hurt? What if she gets killed?"

Another boom, more screams. A hundred yards behind, the entire campground was engulfed in flames.

"DANIEL, WE HAVE TO KEEP MOVING! CASS WILL BE FINE!"

I don't know what Daniel's response was, because I squeezed my eyes shut, thought of Andromeda and Ted's living room, and vanished into the air.

THUD!

Footsteps. Lights on. Voices.

"Cassie, what are you doing back? Are you alright?" Ted asked, his voice sleepy. "Where's Dora?"

I looked up at him. He could see my face was probably covered with dirt and my fingers had blood, Dan's blood, on them. His eyes widened. Suddenly, Andromeda appeared behind him.

"Ted, who's there- Cassie! What's happened to you? Where's Dora?" she asked, pulling me up off the ground and into a chair. She held my hands, searching my face. I picked up my head to face them both.

"After the match – Ireland won, by the way – something happened. Tonks and Arthur Weasley are helping the Ministry sort it out. She told me she'd come home as soon as possible, but said it could be a while," I said flatly.

Andromeda nodded. Ted crossed his arms.

"Right, but that doesn't explain the dirt and blood. What happened, Cassie?"

I took a deep breath and squeezed Andromeda's hand.

"Death Eaters invaded the camp. They burned the place to the ground. They cursed the Muggle family that ran the campground and they tried to kill my boyfriend. I was running into the woods, trying to escape, but Tonks told me to come straight back here and tell you two what happened…"

My voice trailed off. Andromeda looked at Ted, horrified. Before either of them could respond, a gust of cold air swept thought the room and suddenly, Tonks was standing in the kitchen, brushing off her dirty, bloody clothes and untying the Irish flag from her neck.

"It was them," she said. "You-Know-Who's followers. I don't know why they decided to terrorize the Cup, but they did. Campground's completely burned down. Kingsley and I were able to fight a dozen or so."

"What's more is that someone conjured the Dark Mark," she continued. "No one knows who it was or how they did it or how they got away. It was just hanging there in the sky, like a warning. Like his followers were marking his territory for him or trying to send a message. I'm not sure what, but it can't possibly be good."

Andromeda burst into tears.

"Oh, darling, I'm so glad you're home safe!" she exclaimed, trying to dry her eyes. "This business of you being an Auror worries me, Dora, I won't say that it doesn't, and the fact that you just spent an hour fighting off You-Know-Who's followers…"

Her voice trailed off as she dried her eyes, trying to compose herself. I turned to Tonks.

"The Death Eaters," I started. "I know they wear masks and all…but could you get a good look at any of them? Were you ever close enough that you could?" I asked.

Tonks shook her head. "I thought you might ask me that, Cass. But, no, I didn't. I promise you that if I thought I saw your dad under one of those masks, I'd tell you."

I nodded, plenty satisfied with that answer. Andromeda picked up her head.

"I guess if you didn't get a look, you probably didn't see- "

"No, Mum. I didn't see her under any of them either."

Andromeda nodded. They didn't say Bellatrix's name in their house. It was probably a force of habit, but to Andromeda, her name was about as cursed as You-Know-Who's.

After a few minutes of silence, Ted finally spoke.

"Dora, I'm glad you're home safe. You too, Cassie. I'm going back to bed, even though I probably won't get much sleep anyway. Come up whenever, Andy," he said, yawning between words. Tonks and I waved goodnight as he trudged back up the stairs. After giving us both long, tight hugs goodnight, Andromeda followed him.

Tonks and I looked at each other, wondering what to do. Suddenly, Tonks clapped her hands together and sat down next to me.

"I don't really want to think about Death Eaters right now," she proclaimed. "What I want to do is hear all about your evening with Daniel."

I chuckled. "Sorry to disappoint you, but it was rather uneventful. We talked, kissed a couple times, chatted with Cedric and his friends, then I ended up finding you guys. It was more of what we usually do at school."

Tonks frowned. "You don't seem very excited! You haven't seen him in months, you were at the Quidditch World Cup together – who knows if you'll get a chance to go again, mind you – and you play it safe all night? That's kind of dull, don't you think?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. It was nice to just be together, I suppose. This summer I was running around London like a vagrant and he was upset that I didn't come stay with him. I just wanted everything to be perfect and normal and…well, hanging out with his friends and just talking is 'normal' for us, I guess."

She raised an eyebrow at me. "Right. Normal is good. You want normal. I get that. But you didn't write to him while you were here, not once. And we get to the Cup, you see him, you talk…and then you spend the better part of the night with me and the Weasley's. Or, as I saw it last night, one Weasley in particular."

My jaw dropped. "Tonks, I hardly know Fred! He's a year below me, and I told you that I only knew him from my brief stint on the Slytherin Quidditch team, and besides, he and George are nineteen types of trouble, they can barely take themselves seriously."

She smirked and leaned back in her chair. "Fair enough! I was just curious, I don't care if you like Fred or not- "

"I don't."

"Alright, so you don't like Fred! That's all fine, but it doesn't change the fact that- "

"Tonks, I love Daniel," I said firmly. "I do. I love him. I love Daniel. And besides, going to the Cup was supposed to be our night on the town! I felt bad not spending time with you, and Charlie just happened to find me after I'd seen my father. That's all. I love Daniel. I don't even know Fred."

She smiled sympathetically at me, then stood up to leave the kitchen. "Fair enough. But if you ask me, you sound like you're trying to convince yourself that you love him. Now, I'm heading to bed, I told Kingsley that I'd be in early to help do damage control at the Ministry. If you're up in time, you fancy coffee on the porch?"

I smiled. "I do, actually. I'll see you in the morning."

She smiled, then bounded up the stairs and out of sight. As soon as she was gone, I put my head in my hands. She was right about the fact that I didn't write to Daniel when I'd moved into the house. As I search my brain for a reason why, I realized that the reason was hiding in plain sight, neon lights and bells and whistles going off in my brain, but I pushed it away. I couldn't hurt him like that, I thought. Not again, anyway.

D,

Hope you got home okay from the Cup. I'm sorry I lost you. Tonks wanted me to get home to her parents (my aunt and uncle. That's still weird to say) and tell them exactly what we saw.

I'll meet you on 9 ¾ at 10:30 sharp on Sept. 1. My parents were always late to the platform to drop us off, so getting there early = getting on the train early = not seeing them. Tell Cedric the same if he wants to sit with us.

I can't wait to see you. I miss you loads.

Love,

C.I.M.

I tied the letter to Lyra's foot and sent her on her way. It was probably a good idea to plan ahead on when and how to get to the train since I didn't want to see my family. It was also probably a good idea to show a little more interest in my relationship with Daniel.

Tonks and I didn't really talk about the Cup too much after that night. Our conversation definitely spooked me – after all, it seemed impossible that after everything, I didn't love Dan anymore. He was the reason that I was even here, the reason I left my family and took all sorts of risk in order to stay safe. After all that, I had to love him. Didn't I?

"Do you need to go get all your schoolbooks, darling?" Andromeda asked, snapping me out of my thoughts. I smiled up at her.

"No, Andy, I actually got up early this morning and went to Flourish and Blotts," I said. "Growing up, my parents and Draco and I always went in the afternoon. I figured if that tradition still stood, I'd miss them if I went as soon as the shops opened."

Andromeda nodded. "I don't suppose you're ready to see them any time soon, or even just speak to them."

I shook my head. "To be honest with you, I don't really want to see them again as long as I live. I don't know if Tonks told you, but I saw my father and brother at the Quidditch World Cup."

Her eyes widened.

"My father didn't say anything when he saw me. The hair probably threw him off- "

"He probably thought you were your mother," Andromeda countered jokingly. "I remembered when Cissy first colored her hair all dark on top. She wasn't too good at the color changing charm, so the blonde and black got all muddied. Goodness, when our mother saw her…" she trailed off, giggling slightly.

I smiled. "Yeah, maybe it did. Anyway, my brother ended up coming up to me. We…spoke, I guess. Mostly he just insulted Danny and said I was a disgrace. You know, the usual."

She smiled sympathetically, holding my hand. "Trust me, darling, I'm no stranger to people's nasty comments about Muggle-borns, especially from the Black side of the family."

"Well, in any case, after hearing that from my brother and then the Death Eaters destroying the camp…I just don't want to see or hear from them anymore. They're really as good as dead to me," I said plainly. "And I know that sounds awful, but all I could think about that night at the Cup was whether my father was under one of those masks. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he was. I just don't want to be associated with that anymore. I don't want to be associated with them."

Andromeda squeezed my hand. "I understand that perfectly. I do. Which is why your uncle and I want you to know that you're always welcome here, and that we really do see you as another daughter. We're so pleased that you found your way to us, Cassie. I can't tell you that enough."

I squeezed Andromeda's hand. "Trust me, your family saved me. I was living under bridges and stealing my clothes from Muggle shops. If Tonks hadn't found me, I'd probably still be under a bridge somewhere in central London."

"And for that," a voice said from the living room, "you are most welcome!"

Tonks was home early from work. She took her robes off and hung them in the closet, then pulled down her blonde ponytail so that her hair fell around her shoulders. As soon as she shut the closet, her hair was back to its usual bubblegum pink.

"You want me to go with you to 9 ¾ on Friday?" she asked me. I nodded. Andromeda and Ted didn't go near any Wizarding spaces anymore, and I knew Tonks would want to see me off for my last year at school.

"Good, that's settled," she said simply. "Since I only get you for a few more days, fancy a whiskey ginger and Ziggy?"

I nodded, grabbing the stereo and the Ziggy Stardust cassette tape from bag and darted into the backyard. The full moon was out tonight, casting a silvery glow over all the houses in the neighborhood. Somewhere in the distance, a dog barked. I could've sworn I heard a wolf howling, but I probably imagined it, as I would probably be hard-pressed to find a wolf in a Muggle suburb.

The door slammed shut behind me and Tonks came bounding out, handing me a drink.

"It's no Ogden's and ginger, but it'll have to do," she chuckled.

I rolled my eyes. "Trust me, I don't even want to think about Ogden's and ginger!"

She laughed, then pressed play on the tape. "What track did we leave off on?"

"I think 'Suffragette City'?"

"Damn, that's one of the last ones!" she exclaimed.

"Well, we'll listen to it, then flip it back to side one and listen to it all again, alright?"

She nodded, sipping her drink. I put the cup to my lips and tilted my head back, listening to Bowie sing to us. The evening air was cool, and the moonlight washed Tonks's face in a white glow. I took a long, hard look at her. I can't believe that we met three months ago and she's practically my sister, I thought.

"I can't believe you're starting your last year of school," she murmured. "You scared?"

I shrugged. "Only of seeing my brother around."

She laughed. I sighed.

"I'm not really scared. I just want to have a good time with Cedric and Dan and…I just want everything to be perfect."

"That's kind of your thing isn't it?" Tonks asked me. "Wanting everything to be perfect."

I smiled. "Yeah, I guess it is."

We were silent again, the only sound being David Bowie's voice in the night air, disappearing like smoke. I wondered if the year really would be perfect. I had a feeling it wouldn't be, but I pushed it away, as I always did with all the things I didn't want to think about.

THUD!

"Cass Malfoy leave it to you to land on your arse in the middle of King's Cross Station!" Tonks cackled. We'd Disapparated from her house to the car park of King's Cross, and I hadn't had the most graceful landing, as usual.

"Yeah, yeah, it's a wonder I passed my Apparition test! Now come on, I've got to go meet Daniel," I said. We joined hands, and with my free hand firmly on my trolley, we ran for the wall, straight for Platform 9 ¾.

Daniel was waiting for me on the other side. When he saw me, his face broke into a smile.

"Hey, Cassie," he said, pulling me in for a hug and kiss on the cheek. His familiar smell of coffee and cinnamon put me slightly at ease.

"Hi, you," I said, smiling back. I love him. I love him.

Tonks smiled as she watched us. I turned back to Dan.

"Give me just a few minutes," I said. "Save me a spot in our car?"

"Sure thing," he said. "Good to see you again, Tonks!"

"You too, Dan!" she exclaimed, waving goodbye. When he was out of sight, she turned back to me.

"You have all your crap?" she asked.

I nodded. "If I forgot anything, your mum said she'd have you send it by owl."

She raised her eyebrows. "Did she really? I swear, it's like she's got another daughter in the house.

I shook my head, laughing. "I don't mind it. She's like the mum I wish I had. And you're the cool, older sister I wish I had, too."

She smirked. "The one who gets you tipsy and saves you from getting arrested? That sounds like sister behavior to me. Now, get in here before I start crying."

I gave her a big hug and didn't let go for a few minutes. The few weeks we spent together flew by in the blink of an eye. I was sad I wouldn't get to see her, or Andy or Ted, until Christmas. Suddenly, the train horn brought me back to Earth.

"Alright, you better go before the train leaves without you!" Tonks exclaimed, stepping away from me. "Just promise me one quick thing, cousin?"

"Anything."

She leaned in close to whisper in my ear. "Figure out how you feel about Daniel. And if you can't do that, at least figure out how you feel about a certain troublesome Weasley boy."

My eyes widened. "I don't know what you're talking about, Tonks, really- "

"GO! YOU'LL MISS THE TRAIN!" she exclaimed, laughing for the whole platform to hear. I waved one final time and took off for the train. Seventh year at Hogwarts, here I come.

I ended up finding Daniel in a car near the back of the train, sandwiched between Cedric and Annamaria Dickensen.

"Look who decided to finally join us!" Cedric said, giving me a hug as I got into the car. I threw my bag down at my feet and landed clumsily next to Daniel on my seat.

"So, you heard about the thing happening at Hogwarts this year?" Daniel asked me. I shook my head.

Cedric smiled. "Apparently some special event is happening, a tournament that hasn't happened in, like, a hundred years or something? Apparently other schools are involved, supposedly it fosters 'magical cooperation' or something to that effect."

I cocked an eyebrow. "So, we get to watch a sporting event and make friends with witches and wizards from other schools?"

Cedric shrugged. "The making friends part, yes. I'm not so sure it's a sporting event. From what I've heard, it's going to be intense."

"Can students enter?" I asked. "If they can, I'll be throwing my hat in the ring."

Daniel's face fell. "You don't even know what it is and you're already ready to enter?"

I laughed. "Of course, I would! I mean, the chance to meet and compete in potentially dangerous tasks against other students, eternal glory, the possibility of my father dancing a jig if I did, in fact, die…it sounds exactly like my cup of tea."

Dan rolled his eyes. I could tell her didn't approve of my hypothetical entry into this hypothetical tournament. Suddenly, the door to our car opened up.

"Dan? I thought that was you!" said a girl with shiny, dark hair in a braid down her back. She spoke with a lilting, Scottish accent, and her eyes were shrouded in thick, dark lashes.

Dan smiled and sat up. "You have a nice holiday, Cho?"

"Can't complain. Practiced a bit of Quidditch, got to visit the Ministry with my mum a few times, nothing too spectacular. How about you?"

"Nothing too spectacular either. The highlight was probably the World Cup- "

"Which he attended with me, his best mate," Cedric cut in, his cheeks turning rosy as he smiled up at Cho Chang. She blushed.

"Hi, Cedric," she said quietly. "You have a nice holiday too?"

Cedric smiled. "Not bad, I'd say."

She smiled at him, a wide smile that showed off her straight, white teeth. She turned back to Daniel.

"Well, I just wanted to say hi. I'm sure I'll see you a little later, once we're at school?" she asked. Dan nodded.

"I'll see you at dinner, then," she said, before turning to smile at Cedric one more time and disappearing from our car.

Cedric leaned back in his seat, obviously flustered. I leaned in close.

"You and the Ravenclaw Seeker, eh?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. "I see it, Diggory. I see it. And by the looks of it, she sees it too."

"Relax, Cho and I don't really know each other that well," he said.

"But you'd like to change that, yes?" Dan asked, clearly trying to badger him for an answer.

Cedric blushed again. "Yeah, alright, I would."

Dan reached into his bag and pulled out a special edition of The Daily Prophet. "Turn to page seven. Special interview with the Tutshill Tornadoes. They're her team. Ask if she's seen it, or better yet, give it to her."

Cedric's eyes widened. "Daniel Josiah Light, you're the best mate in the world," he said, snatching the paper from Dan's hands and exiting the car, taking off in the direction Cho was headed just a few minutes earlier. I laughed.

"You're a great boyfriend, a great wingman, is there anything you can't do, Light?" I asked him.

You love him. You love him.

"No, I don't suppose there is," he said, leaning in for a kiss. Annamaria rolled her eyes and got up to leave the car. As I watched her go, Dan turned my face back toward him and kissed me again, this time more intensely and with a bit more tongue.

"Don't you get any ideas now that we're alone," I said teasingly.

"Cassiopeia Isolde Malfoy, I have no idea what you're talking about," he whispered, wrapping his arm around my waist, pulling me across his lap, and kissing me again, his fingers tangled up in my hair.

As I reached up to cup his chin in my hands, I closed my eyes and let my mind melt away. You love him. You love him. You love him.

"So, let me get this straight: your mother has another sister, one you didn't even know about until…three months ago?" Dan asked, popping an Every Flavor Bean into his mouth before promptly spitting in out.

I nodded. "Apparently. There's this big family tree in my great-uncle's house that has, like, every Black family member since the beginning of time on it. Andromeda's face is blasted off of it. I remembered asking my mum what happened to her and never getting a straight answer. Now I know why, I suppose."

Dan nodded. "And her daughter is your cousin?"

"Yeah, but she's more like my sister. At least, I like to think of her as my sister."

He nodded again. "You said her husband's Muggle-born, right?"

"Yup. Ted Tonks. He's the best."

It was quiet for a few minutes after that, Dan eating the beans and making various disgusted faces and me sucking on a strawberry Sugar Quill. After about ten minutes, Dan put his carton of beans down.

"Can I ask you something?" he said slowly.

"Sure, anything," I responded.

He gulped. "Do you think we're like your aunt and uncle?"

I almost choked on my quill but composed myself. "How do you mean?"

"I mean," he began. "Do you think we'd, you know, have a chance the way they did? Making it on their own after being cast out by one side of the family?"

My mind went blank. I hadn't really thought about it. I wasn't really even sure that Dan was my Ted, probably because we hadn't even been together for a year. We still had so much to learn about one another, and so much to figure out on our own.

"I don't know," I said carefully. "Maybe."

He sat back. "Oh…really?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I mean, Ted and Andy knew from the very start that they wanted to be together- "

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Shit. I probably shouldn't have led with that

"Well, it means that they knew each other for a while, they'd been together for a while and they knew that if they took the risk, if she took the risk of telling her family, that they were in it for the long haul," I said, even more carefully. "If she was going to be cast out, she and Ted were for sure going to be cast out together."

Dan stared at me blankly. "Are you saying you don't know if you want to be with me for the long haul?"

"No, Dan, shit. That's not what I'm saying," I said, my voice low and clearly exasperated. "Look, I'm saying that we haven't even been together for a year, there's still so much that hasn't happened to us and for us and- "

"I love you, Cass," he blurted out. "I love you. I don't know why that's not enough."

"It is enough, Dan! Look, I'm sorry I can't say that I want to marry you right now because I don't know if I want to marry you, we're seventeen- "

"That's not what I'm saying!" he yelled. "I just want to know if you saw us making it the way your aunt and uncle did. Now I have my answer."

I put my head in my hands, clearly unable to stop what I'd started. Dan picked up his bag, his candy, and his cat Orpheus and started for the door of the car.

"Where the hell are you going?" I asked.

"To find Cedric," he muttered. "I'll see you when we get to school."

"Dan, please don't do this- "

"Cass…just take the next few hours to figure out if you even want to be with me anymore. I think you need it."

And with that, he shut the door of the car and stalked off.

After about ten minutes, my face was still frozen in the same shocked expression from when Dan left the car.

I felt awful. I'd made it known that I was uncertain about our future and he...did not take it well. The one thing I didn't want was to hurt Daniel even more, and I'd already royally fucked that up.

On the other hand, a tiny sliver of me felt relieved. Maybe he'd already done what I didn't have the nerve to do, I thought. Maybe it's over and I don't have to worry about being the one to do it. We're clearly on different pages. I'll always love him, but probably not in the way he wants me to.

God, I didn't want to think about it. Boyfriend or not, Daniel cared for me. He knew the real me, and now I just felt alone. Thankful that the car was empty, I put my head back in my hands and started to cry softly, hiding my face in my robes as the tears landed in the palms of my hands.

Suddenly, the door to the car flew open.

"George, I'm telling you – oh, sorry, didn't know anyone was in here," a voice muttered.

"You didn't see the crying girl curled up in the corner of the car?" I shot back, turning around to face whoever was there.

There, standing in the doorframe of the car, was Fred Weasley, George Weasley, and their friend Lee Jordan. Fred's eyes widened as he realized it was me.

"You alright, Malfoy?" he asked quietly. "You want us to go?"

I eyed him carefully. His usually grinning face was stuck in a frown, his ginger brow furrowed and his eyes full of concern. He looked genuinely worried.

I knew it probably wasn't a good idea to invite him in, but I was due for a laugh. A laugh and nothing more, I thought to myself.

"I'm just grand, Weasley," I said, wiping my eyes so that George and Lee wouldn't see. "You boys want to come in?"

They looked at each other, then nodded at me. I moved my bag and candy off the seat, making room for the three boys to come in and sit. Fred took his place next to me, his legs hitting mine as he landed in the seat.

"You wouldn't happen to have any Ogden's and ginger in that bag, would you Malfoy?" he asked jokingly.

"I don't even want to think about Ogden's and ginger for a long, long time, Weasley," I muttered, attempting to hide my smile.

"Yeah, until the first Quidditch match of the season!" Lee remarked. "If Slytherin wins, I have it on good authority you'll be on a table in the common room busting a move to the Bee Gees."

I rolled my eyes. "And whose authority is that, may I ask? If it's one of the Notts or Jermaine Pucey or Annabelle Greengrass- "

"I'm only joking, Cass," Lee said, pulling his dreadlocks into a low ponytail. "Besides, Gryffindor's going to win that first match, so you'll probably just be drowning your sorrows."

"That's no different than what I usually do," I said. The three boys laughed, and I smiled. How cute, I thought. They think I'm kidding.

Time flew by when you were with the Weasley's and Lee. After about twelve rounds of Exploding Snap and listening to George talk about his and Fred's idea for a joke shop, we'd finally pulled into Hogsmeade Station. When I went to pick up my bag, I ended up dumping about seven Sugar Quills on the ground.

"Here, let me- "

"No, Fred, I've got them- "

"Really, Cass, you missed – OW!"

My head collided with Fred's as we both went to pick up the last green apple Sugar Quill.

"You alright?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm alright," he winced. I giggled. He handed me the Sugar Quill and I took it, my thumb accidentally brushing his index finger.

Suddenly, I was overcome with this hotness all over my body, this feeling that told me that our accidental touching of hands was wrong, but that I wanted it to happen again.

"I'll see you during dinner?" Fred asked, bringing me back to earth.

"Oh, yeah," I said distractedly. "See you."

He winked, then headed for the exit. When I followed, I wandered down the platform to where the carriages would be, searching for Daniel. I scanned each one, searching for him. I couldn't find him anywhere.

After a futile search, I climbed into a carriage with Annabelle Greengrass, Jermaine Pucey, and Maria St. James. I smiled at Annabelle, another one of my oldest friends.

"Good holiday, Cass?" she asked, her green eyes twinkling.

"Yeah, not bad. You?"

"Not bad," she said. "Listen, I heard about what happened- "

"Belle, I really don't want to talk about it. Not here, at least."

She looked taken aback. "You sure?"

I smiled sadly. "Yeah. I'm not even sure we're together anymore. More on that later, alright?"

She nodded, then took my hand in hers. I smiled at her gratefully, and we took off down the path, headed for the start of our seventh year.


	10. The name of the game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Triwizard Tournament is announced. Cass puts her brother in his place and breaks her own heart.

I didn't really have much to say during dinner. Annabelle and I talked about our holidays – her fling with a French witch on her family's trip to Paris and my stint at the Quidditch World Cup – but I didn't much feel like talking. I just wanted to go up to my dorm, turn on the radio, and fall asleep, but my mind was too distracted for sleep. Every time I picked my eyes up from my plate, I scanned the Great Hall for Daniel, but I never saw him. I saw Fred and George chatting with their brother Ron and his friends, as well as Cedric, Gethin, and Annamaria, but no sign of Daniel.

Before I could take a bite of blueberry pie (my favorite dessert), I heard a booming voice from the front of the Great Hall.

"Now that we are all fed and watered," said Professor Dumbledore, the Hogwarts headmaster, "I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices."

He then continued to talk about the four hundred and thirty-seven forbidden objects that were banned from the castle this year (across the room, I could see Fred and George's smiles fading as the list went on), but I sort of zoned out. Where the hell was Daniel? I thought. I don't think we've ever had a fight like that, and if I don't make it right, he'll never speak to me again, much less fight with me.

Suddenly, my ears perked up.

"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year," said Professor Dumbledore slowly, as if he already anticipated the verbal backlash that followed from the student body. Fred and George were yelling 'that's rubbish!' across the hall, and Harry Potter was shaking his head furiously. I craned my head down the table to see my brother, head in his hands, making his disappointment clear as day.

"Is he joking?" Annabelle whispered to me, shaking my arm.

I shook my head. "Don't think so. Have you heard anything about the special event happening this year?"

Her eyes widened, then shook her head. We both turned back to face Dumbledore.

"This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy — but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts —"

Suddenly, the doors of the Great Hall flew open with a loud BANG!

A tall, heavyset man in a ragged black cloak and a walking stick came limping into the hall. Suddenly, a flash of lightning filled the ceiling with white light. The sounds of students whispering were drowned out by the loud, awkward clunk! of thestranger's walking stick.

His face was wrinkled and scarred everywhere – his chin was covered in three little scars, but a larger scar stretched from his hairline all the way down to his upper lip, taking up half his face. When he turned his head, I could see his eyes, or rather eye: one eye was dark and small, and the other was bright blue and peering all around the room, rolling all around in his eye socket. When he finally reached Dumbledore, he held out a heavily scarred hand, which the headmaster shook.

"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" said Dumbledore. "Professor Moody."

I turned to Annabelle. "I know him! My cousin's an Auror, Moody trained her. She says he's scary, but damn good at what he did. She says he filled half the cells in Azkaban back in the day."

Back up front, Moody took a seat next to Professor Snape, who looked less than thrilled to be sitting next to the hulking former Auror. I could see Moody digging into his cloak to pull out what looked like a hip flask and taking a long, drawn-out drink, his eye twitching as he did so.

Dumbledore turned back to us.

"As I was saying, we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century," he said, pausing for dramatic effect. "It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

"You're JOKING!" exclaimed Fred, loud enough for the entire student body to hear.

Suddenly, the Great Hall burst into fits of laughter. I didn't even try to conceal my giggling. Leave it to Fred Weasley to draw attention to himself at a moment like this.

Dumbledore gazed down at Fred through his half-moon glasses, trying to stifle his own laughter.

"The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of magic," he explained. "A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities — until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued."

I gasped, looking for Cedric at the Hufflepuff table. When I caught his eye, I made a face that said, 'I'm entering.' I could see him laugh and roll his eyes from across the room.

Dumbledore then explained how the Ministry of Magic was closely regulating the tournament this year, as to avoid adding to a centuries-long death toll, but I could only think about entering. If I could've stood up and volunteered right then, I would have.

"The heads of Beauxbatons Academy and the Durmstrang Institute will be arriving in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween," Dumbledore continued. "Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts, we have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age — that is to say, seventeen years or older — will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion."

The only verbal backlash to that rule came from none other than Fred and George.

"The students from the other schools will be here in a few weeks! What d'you think they'll be like?" Annabelle asked me.

"I dunno," I said, my voice far away. "I think I'm going to enter. I'm going to put my name in."

Her eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah. I'm seventeen, and as far as I can tell, that's the only criteria," I replied. "For all you know, you're looking at the next Triwizard Tournament Champion!"

"If you do win, you think you might split the thousand Galleons with your nearest and dearest?" Jermaine Pucey called over to me as we got up from the Slytherin table.

I smirked. "Since when are you my nearest and dearest, Pucey? I know you only want me for my money!"

He laughed. Jermaine was my first boyfriend. We'd dated for about three months in fourth year, before breaking up at Christmas. Since then, we'd actually become rather close friends.

"You'd have to be an idiot to want Cass Malfoy for anything other than her money," I heard Trevor Nott say. I turned and raised an eyebrow.

"And you'd have to be an idiot to want Trevor Nott for…well, for any reason, really," I replied, sticking my tongue out at him. Annabella and Jermaine laughed out loud and followed me, leaving Trevor behind.

As we headed for the dungeons and the Slytherin common rooms, I couldn't help but feeling light and happy. It felt really great to have the two people who knew me the best in all of Slytherin House back at my side again. I was worried that they'd hear the story of what happened with Daniel from someone with the same ugly views as my family and desert me, but I was glad to be wrong.

When we reached the common room door, Jermaine uttered the password.

"Pure-blood!" he said. That password always made me cringe.

The door flew open and we walked in.

I had never been more thrilled to be back in the Slytherin common room. Unlike the other common rooms, ours was underneath the castle, and our windows gave us a front-row seat to what lurked beneath the Black Lake, giving the room its signature green tint. Black couches and chairs with silver buttons sat in front of a roaring fireplace, and the mahogany tables and chairs were covered with wizard's chess boards, water goblets, and other expensive-looking trinkets.

I ran down the steps for the largest couch, pushing past Jermaine and Annabelle to throw myself onto it, laughing as I did. They followed suit, dogpiling on top of me as our laughter filled the whole room.

"I'm surprised you've even still got friends, being a lover of Mudbloods and all," I heard a voice say. Bloody hell, really?

Annabelle, Jermaine, and I all turned around. "Considering you feel so emboldened to call people who are different than you by disgusting names with such reckless abandon, it is I who is surprised that you still have friends, little brother," I replied, looking him up and down. His hair was longer and almost white, and his robes looked brand new. My mother probably treated him to all new things over the summer, since she didn't have a daughter to spoil anymore.

Draco smirked, looking to his cronies Crabbe and Goyle for backup. They offered none, of course.

"You did tell them, didn't you? Don't want to keep secrets or tell lies, do we? I've already seen how that's gotten you in trouble," he shot back. I glared at him, my mind racing. I felt suddenly overcome with the need to put him in his place. Annabelle and Jermaine tried to restrain me but failed. I climbed over the back of the couch, lunged at Draco, but instead went for the table. I stood on it, as I'd been wont to do when I was intoxicated.

"Hello, hi, can I have a quick word with everyone?" I called out to the common room. Everyone who was lounging or talking quietly or going to their dormitories had now turned to look at me.

"Isn't it a bit early to do a dance for us, Malfoy?" Trevor called out, a low laughter filling the room.

I stuck my tongue out at him again. "Get lost, Nott. Anyway, now that I've got most everyone's attention, my darling little brother wants me to tell you all something."

I looked down at him. He looked stunned that I'd actually done it.

"At the end of last term, my parents kicked me out of the house," I said. "Can you believe that? They kicked me out because I'm dating – or at least, I was dating, I think we broke up today – a Muggle-born boy. That's right! I'm not a blood purity-obsessed bigot like they are, or like most of you and your families are. That said, if you've got a problem with me because I don't baselessly hate Muggles or Muggle-born wizards and witches, this is your warning to just…stay the hell away from me!"

I looked around. Everyone was staring at me. I'd been known to do outlandish things in this common room, but I was usually drunk out of my mind when I did them.

I smiled. "Good, that's settled. Everyone, back to your knitting!"

I jumped off the table and walked back to the couch, sitting back down between a bewildered Jermaine and Annabelle.

"Now you can't say I'm a liar, Draco," I called, not even looking over my shoulder. "Oh, and I meant what I said: stay the hell away from me."

I woke up the next morning with a knot in my stomach. I needed to find Daniel. Today.

I tumbled out of bed and hunted for a pair of black denim jeans and my dark green jumper, the one I stole from the shop the day I met Tonks. I tucked the jumper into the front of my jeans, tied my shoes (a pair of steel-toe boots from a south London thrift shop), stuck my wand in my pocket, and headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

I wandered down to the Ravenclaw table, where Daniel was sitting with Cho and another student I didn't recognize. I braced myself for whatever was coming my way.

"Hey, Dan," I said, so quietly he didn't even hear me.

Cho noticed I was standing there and smiled, reaching across the table to get Dan's attention. When he looked up and realized it was me standing there, his smiled faded.

"Cass, hi," he muttered. "Is there something you want?"

I blinked. "Yeah, actually. I want to talk. Now, if you can."

He looked back at Cho, who was suddenly very interested in her breakfast plate. He looked back at me and exhaled.

"Yeah, alright," he said evenly. "Where'd you want to go?"

I smiled weakly. "Let's just go for a walk."

He nodded, then followed me out of the Great Hall. As we headed for the courtyard, I saw Fred walking and talking animatedly with Angelina Johnson, a Chaser for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. He tried to catch my eye, but I couldn't look at him.

"Where are we going?" he asked me, clearly exasperated. I whipped around.

"Where did we always go last year?" I asked flatly. That shut him up.

A few minutes later, we were sitting on the edge of the lake in silence. The waters were deep blue, almost black, and looked rather peaceful. Dan and I would come down here on weekends and watch the sunrise, skip stones, or have picnics in the afternoons. It was here that we wrestled in the lake after he pretended to throw my wand in the water, and where we had our very first kiss.

Daniel broke the silence.

"So…what did you want to talk about?" he asked quietly.

I sighed, my eyes focused on the water.

"I wanted to talk about what I said yesterday."

"Cass, you really don't- "

"Dan, I feel really awful about it," I said. "I didn't intend for it come out the way it did. There was probably a better, more productive way to have that conversation, and I'm so sorry. I wish I could take it back, but- "

"Cass, no you don't."

I turned to face him. He smiled sadly.

"You don't wish you could take it back," he said plainly.

My brow furrowed. "If you're still going to bring up this summer- "

"Cass, why didn't you write?"

Now I was mad. "I already told you! I didn't think it was safe to write when I was living under bridges and stealing from Muggles and – "

"No, Cass," he said, shaking his head. "I mean when you moved into your aunt and uncle's house. Why didn't you write then?"

Silence. I put my head in my hands. I knew the reason why I hadn't written. I'd thought about it the night Tonks and I returned from the Cup, but because it was ugly and uncomfortable, I pushed it away.

"I don't know, Daniel. I really don't have an answer for you."

Again, he smiled that same, sad smile. "I know why you didn't write. I just wish you had the courage to tell me, so I knew for sure."

"Fine," I said, closing my eyes, trying to not lose my cool. "I didn't write because the longer I was away from you…the less I missed you. I didn't miss you the way you said you missed me. I know that doesn't make sense and probably hurts more than it helps. I don't know how it happened or how I failed to realize it…but I just don't think I love you anymore, Dan. At least not the way you want me to."

I opened my eyes to see him staring at me, blinking back tears. Shit.

"I'll always love you, Cass. You know that. And I know I'll get over this, but it still hurts all the same."

"I know it does," I said, reaching for his hand, trying to hold onto whatever tiny part of him I could. "And I'm so sorry – so, so sorry Dan – for being the person who hurt you. But I can't lie to you and string you along and pretend. It's not fair to either of us. You deserve someone who can't bear to be apart from you and wants all the big and little moments with you and that loves you, full stop. I'm sorry that I couldn't be that person. I know you wanted me to be."

He was silent. He squeezed my hand tight, like he was releasing all the pain and bad energy from our relationship into the ether. It felt like a ritual, like a cutting of a cord. A letting go.

"Can I ask you one more question?" he asked quietly. "And then I'll leave you alone."

I nodded.

"Do you think…that we maybe have a chance later on? Like, when we're done with school and we have our lives figured out?"

I wasn't going to lie anymore.

"I don't think so, Dan," I said. "All I really want is for us to be friends someday. I just don't want to lose you completely."

He nodded. "I get that. I think we just need to be apart for a while. Go no contact, give ourselves some time to get through…this. I want to be your friend too, Cassie, but I don't think I can right now."

"Of course," I said. "I wouldn't expect that of you."

He nodded, his lips pressed together in a thin, almost smile. He stood up but squeezed my hand one more time before he let go completely.

"I'll always love you, Cass," he said quietly, before leaning down to kiss the top of my head. I could feel a tear or two hit my scalp, and that made me lose it.

When I was certain that he was gone, I broke down crying next to the lake, the sound of my wailing hanging in the thick, morning air.


	11. Under pressure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabelle and Jermaine prove themselves the best friends at Hogwarts. Cass and Cedric throw their hats into the ring for the tournament, and Fred makes more than one generous offer.

I spent the rest of the day in bed.

Annabelle stayed with me for a while, hugging me while I cried into her jumper. Around nine that evening, Jermaine came down to our room with a bottle of Ogden's Old from the Three Broomsticks he'd bought that afternoon.

"Madame Rosemerta sends her love," he said, trying to stifle a laugh. "She could tell immediately who I was buying for."

"Probably because she knows I'm a fiend for firewhiskey," I said through my tears. Jermaine set the bottle down across from my bed, but I needed a drink now.

"Accio," I said, sending the bottle into the air before landing in my open hand. I opened it and put it to my lips, closing my eyes and taking a few long pulls.

"Easy, Malfoy," Jermaine said, eyeing me carefully. "Have you eaten since breakfast?"

"Nope," I said. "All the crying made me lose my appetite."

Annabelle and Jermaine exchanged looks. "How about we get you something to eat?" they asked, obviously concerned. I eyed them critically.

"It's past curfew, how're you going to get me any food?"

They smiled, then pulled me out of bed. I was in for a surprise.

"Guys, where're we going?" I whispered, slurring from the firewhiskey I'd consumed on an empty stomach.

"We're almost there! Trust us, you'll be wishing you'd known about this sooner," Annabelle whispered. "Jermaine, what did you say we had to do?"

"I think Weasley said 'tickle the pear,' but I can't be sure," he replied. My ears perked up.

"I don't want to do anything that either of the Weasley's told you to do," I slurred again. "Fred's already gotten me into a bit of trouble and I don't want more."

"Yeah, we heard about you two getting cozy at the Cup," Jermaine teased. "Not really a surprise, though. You're a looker, Cass, and you've got money. I'm wouldn't be surprised if Weasley was in love you for that alone."

"Jermaine, I don't want to hear about Fred Weasley being in love with me! That's the last thing I need to hear right now- "

"Shut up, the pair of you!" Annabelle hissed. "We're here."

There we stood in front of a giant portrait of fruit. Confused, I turned to them.

"Why am I looking at fruit? I can't eat this fruit. Why did you two bring me here? Is this some kind of trick? Am I- "

"Belle, if you would," Jermaine whispered.

Annabelle stepped forward and tickled the large, green pear on the painting. It bounced and jostled and then transfigured into a door handle. She pushed down on it and let us through the portrait hole.

"Okay, we walked past the fruit," I said, still slurring and having trouble standing up straight. "Where are we headed now?"

"Here we are!" Annabelle exclaimed proudly. "Hello, you lot!"

I looked around wildly to see who she was addressing. There, standing before me, were dozens of house-elves. Suddenly, I heard my name.

"Miss-Miss Malfoy?" I heard a tiny voice squeak out. I looked down.

"Merlin's beard," I exclaimed, a bit too loudly. "Dobby? Is that you?"

"It is! It is Dobby, Miss Malfoy! Oh, how pleased Dobby is to see you! Dobby hasn't seen Miss Malfoy in many years! A happy day this is for Dobby, a happy day indeed!"

I laughed, stumbling as I bent down to meet the little elf's gaze. Dobby was my family's house elf for years, until Harry Potter freed him with a dirty sock in a diary belonging to Voldemort. My father wasn't too pleased, but I was happy to see Dobby freed and away from how horribly my family treated him. When I was a little girl, I would sneak into our kitchens and talk to Dobby; I would read him stories about the outside world and he would make me all the blueberry pie I desired. Even then, my parents would always scold me for being kind to him.

"Dobby, you look... wonderful," I said, eyeing his clothing carefully. He'd managed to fashion a teal tea cozy into a hat, a pair of children's athletic shorts, a horseshoe-printed tie, and mismatched socks. I would have to get him new clothes for the holidays, or maybe find him an old shirt of mine to wear.

"Miss Malfoy, your friends say that it has been a most difficult day for you, and that Miss Malfoy might want to be cheered up with her very favorite treat," Dobby said, revealing a huge blueberry pie on a wooden table. My eyes widened as I drunkenly lunged for the pie, shoving it into my mouth with a fork.

"It's just as amazing as I remember it," I said between bites. "You're the best, Dobby, don't you ever forget it. Oh, and one more thing: you've been free for years now. I'm not Miss Malfoy anymore. I'm Cassie to everyone, but especially to you."

Dobby blushed, then smiled knowingly at Annabelle and Jermaine. I went back to my pie, content in the fact that I had the best friends in the entire wizarding world. Even in my sadness over Daniel, I was over the moon that I had them.

Sunday meant receiving class schedules for the start of the school year. I woke up late, having spent a good few hours in the kitchen talking to Dobby, then drinking more Ogden's in my dorm, but I managed to scramble down to the Great Hall around nine to have a bit of breakfast and see what my schedule was like for the year.

When I reached the Great Hall, I stopped in the doorway, trying to catch my breath. God was I hungover. As I ambled toward the table, I made very awkward eye contact with Professor Snape, our head of house.

"Decided to join your classmates, Miss Malfoy?" he asked in his usual monotone. I nodded, unable to form words yet. He handed me my class schedule and I snatched it from him before he stalked off, his black robes billowing from behind him like a bat's wings.

I eyed my scheduled critically, scanning to see what classes I had and with which houses. I had Transfiguration and History of Magic with Ravenclaw, which meant I'd be seeing Daniel on Tuesdays, but Divination, double Potions, and Charms with Hufflepuff on Mondays, which meant hanging out with Cedric. Not bad for my last year in school.

I scanned the rest of my schedule and saw that I had Potions again on Friday. I smiled. I was looking to become a Potioneer after school ended, and last year, I practically had to beg Professor Snape to let me get some practical potions experience before I set off into the real world. By the look of my schedule, my pleas convinced him.

"Now that you've decided to grace us with your presence, Miss Malfoy," I heard Professor Snape's voice behind me, "I wish to discuss your schedule with you."

I looked up at him, eyeing him critically. It was no secret that Professor Snape verbally abused nearly every student he ever came in contact with, including me. However, when I had the dreaded career discussion with him in fifth year and told him I saw myself making a career out of potionmaking, I swear he almost cracked a smile.

"I've spoken to Professor Dumbledore about this matter and he seems to think that you would benefit with more intensive potions experience, given your chosen career path," he continued, his voice continually monotone. "You will assist me during my Friday morning Potions classes for the duration of the year. Friday morning classes are with the first-year students. Seeing as how patience is a virtue you somehow manage to possess, the headmaster and I both feel you would do…exceptionally in such a setting."

I raised my eyebrows. "I'd be delighted, Professor. I look forward to it."

He stared down his ever-greasy nose at me. "Very well. I ask that this week, you organize the potions storeroom in preparation for not only my first-year class, but for all of them."

My eyes widened, disappointed. "Really? You're going to make me- "

"You would do well to keep your mouth shut about the tasks I assign you, Miss Malfoy," he said. "I heard all about your antics in the common room Friday evening, as well as your unfortunate familial situation. Were it not for the headmaster's request and your own…impassioned pleas last term, I wouldn't have taken you on. I expect the stores to be cleaned and organized by the start of my first class tomorrow."

"What time is that at?"

He glared at me. "Eight. Sharp," he said, before turning on his heel and striding away.

As I trudged off to the potions storeroom, I heard a voice and footsteps behind me.

"Cassie! Wait up!" Cedric called from behind me. I turned around and smiled at him.

"Hello, you," I said. "You get your schedule yet?"

He nodded. "Divination, double Potions, and Charms on Mondays with you, Transfiguration, Care of Magical Creatures, and Arithmancy on Wednesday, Muggle Studies with Ravenclaw on Tuesday…Merlin, I've forgotten the rest."

I giggled. "Well, at least I'll have you in Potions again. Snape's actually letting me assist him during his Friday class with the first-years. Part of my 'practical potionmaking experience' before I get an apprenticeship."

Cedric's eyes widened. "Well, that's great Cass! I know you tried to convince him last year, I'm really pleased you're getting to do it!"

"Yeah, well, it's not all sunshine and roses," I said defeatedly. "My first task is to clean and organize the storeroom before tomorrow at eight. If I don't start now, there's no way I'll sleep. Not that I'd probably be sleeping anyway. I don't know if you heard."

Cedric smiled sympathetically. "I did. I'm sorry to hear it."

I shrugged, trying to play off how bad I still felt. "Has he said anything?"

He shook his head. "Guys don't really talk about that stuff. And besides, you know him. He tends to bottle up the important stuff and bury his nose in a book or his journals. All I got out of him was that it was over."

I nodded. I don't know what else I expected.

"Look," he said, reaching out to pat me on the shoulder. "He's my best mate, but so are you. Whatever happened, you know I'm here for the both of you. No matter what."

I smiled. "Spoken like a true Hufflepuff. I appreciate that, Ced, I really do. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a potions storeroom to organize. See you at dinner?"

He nodded. "See you at dinner."

We both turned to go our separate ways, but I turned around, remembering something.

"Hey, you give any more thought to entering that tournament?" I called down the hall.

"No!" he called back. "And I don't care how much you're going to badger me – I'm not doing it!"

Dear T,

The first month (well, almost two months) of classes have flown by like you wouldn't believe. School is alright – I'm assisting Professor Snape in his first-year Potions class (Dumbledore wanted me to – said I could do with more practical potionmaking experience) and Defense is keeping me on my toes. If you have any stories or advice for dealing with Mad-Eye Moody, do let me know. I heard he practiced Unforgivable Curses on his fourth-year class and almost made someone have a breakdown (I think his name was Longbottom?).

Daniel and I broke up pretty much the day we got here. I'm fine. It was for the best and had nothing to do with a certain F. Weasley. In fact, I've barely even seen Fred since school started. To be honest, there were rumors floating around about us 'getting cozy at the Cup,' so I thought I should avoid him altogether.

That's me, I suppose. Do give your mum and dad my love and write back when you can. I'm sure I'll have plenty more news when the Triwizard Tournament kicks off.

Love,

C

I tied the letter to Tonks to Lyra's foot and sent her on her way. It was getting dark out, so I jogged back to the castle from the Owlery as quickly as I could.

When I arrived at the front of the castle, it appeared that the entire student body was standing outside. After a few minutes of pushing, shoving, and searching, I found Annabelle and Jermaine.

"Did I miss something? What's going on?" I asked over the chatter of the hundreds of students congregated outside.

"The other schools are arriving tonight! Beauxbatons and Durmstrang," Annabelle said. "Where have you been?"

"Nowhere," I said, fidgeting with my wand in my pocket. "Just sending a letter."

After a few minutes, everybody craned their necks to see whoever was headed toward the castle. I stood on my toes to see what everyone else was seeing – to my shock, I saw what appeared to be giant, blue, flying carriage being pulled by a dozen flying horses.

"So, they've brought Pegasus and his siblings," I remarked. "Hagrid's probably thrilled."

Jermaine snickered. Professor McGonagall turned toward us and shot all three of us a stare. We promptly shut up.

When the carriage touched down, a boy in sky blue silk robes emerged, then held the door open for dozens of silk-clad students, boys and girls who couldn't have been younger than sixteen. Leading them out of the carriage was the tallest, most elegantly dressed woman I had ever seen; she was really tall, taller than Hagrid, and her hair was in a sleek, black bob and glittering opals and diamonds lay around her neck and fingers and hung from her ears.

"Oh, for the love of Merlin," Annabelle whispered, burying her face in my shoulder. I turned to her, shaking her off me.

"What's the matter?" I asked. She barely looked up at me.

"I just saw her," she whispered. "The witch. From the summer. The one I…"

"NO!" I hissed. "You can't be serious! Which one is she?"

"The tall, blonde one," Belle replied.

"Belle, they're all tall and blonde."

"Alright, alright," she said, picking up her head ever so slightly. "There! To the right of their headmistress. There she is."

I craned my neck. Next to the Beauxbatons headmistress, Madame Maxime, was a slender young woman with silvery-blonde hair and the most perfect teeth I'd ever seen. I could see why Belle was so attracted to her, and so embarrassed to see her again. She was absolutely stunning.

"Right, now you really have to tell about what happened over the summer," I whispered, before Jermaine tugged on my arm.

"Oi, you two! Look at the lake!"

We both turned our attention to the literal pirate ship that had just emerged from the Black Lake. It looked like something out of a storybook; all skeletal with crimson and black flags hanging from the masts. The ship glided to the shore of the lake, where its passengers began to disembark. The students who came off the ship were all boys with dark, wavy hair and perfectly trimmed facial hair. Their immaculate grooming stood in stark contrast to their robes, which were made of a dingy, dark, matted fur.

Their headmaster, on the other hand, was clad in silver fur to match his hair.

"Dear old Hogwarts," he said, bearing his yellowing teeth in a smile. "How good it is to be here."

When I finally got a good look at who was next to their headmaster, I gasped.

"What?" Jermaine and Belle asked. I turned to them.

"You see the boy next to the Durmstrang headmaster?" I whispered. "That's Viktor Krum!"

Now that there were at least one hundred more students in the Great Hall, dinner was full of chatter. I could barely hear myself think over all the voices, some of whom were speaking in different languages.

Despite the sensory overload, I was thrilled. This really is once in a lifetime, I thought. Getting to meet all these witches and wizards who are so different from me.

After dinner and dessert had passed, Dumbledore stepped up to his usual podium.

"The moment has come," said Dumbledore. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket, just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year."

He then introduced two men from the Ministry of Magic; Ludo Bagman, who I'd seen at the World Cup, and Barty Crouch Sr., the head of International Magical Cooperation. Bagman and Crouch were quite the pair standing with Dumbledore; Bagman looking like an overgrown leprechaun in his deep green robes and Crouch, wiry, unsmiling and perfectly groomed, looking like the picture of austerity.

After a few more introductions, it was time.

"The casket, then, if you please, Mr. Filch," said Dumbledore.

Filch brought forth an enormous, jewel-encrusted, wooden case and placed it before Dumbledore. He tapped three times on the top of the casket, and from it emerged a large, wooden goblet with blue flames emanating from the top.

"The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire," he said over the crowd. "Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it in. Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools."

He then explained that an Age Line would be drawn around the goblet to ensure that no one under seventeen would enter. Across the room, I could see Fred and George Weasley already plotting.

"Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly," Dumbledore said solemnly. "The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all."

I got up from our table and weaved through the crowd to find Cedric.

"Haven't had a change of heart, have you, Diggory?" I asked, eyeing him.

He shook his head. "No way, Cass. I'm not sure I have the nerve to do whatever it is their planning."

I punched his arm playfully. "That's such rubbish! You have the most nerve of anyone I know. Besides, there are, what, a few hundred seventeen-year-olds at Hogwarts? How many of them are going to enter? The chances of our names getting picked are really quite slim, when you think about it."

He rolled his eyes. "You haven't convinced me, Malfoy."

I tightened my grip on his arm. "Come on, Ced. I really don't want to enter alone."

He cocked an eyebrow at me. "Don't tell me you're scared! Are you scared?"

I shook my head. "I'm not! Swear it on Merlin's saggy left-"

"Alright! Before you finish that sentence," he paused, "I'll do it. I'll put my name in with you."

I squealed with delight, throwing my arms around his neck in a hug. "Tomorrow at five, meet me here. We'll do it together. Promise?"

He nodded. "I better not regret this, Cassie!

"You won't!" I called back to him, taking off toward the common room.

The day passed rather quickly. I spent all day thinking about how I was about to throw my hat into the ring for a chance at eternal glory and a thousand Galleons. It probably also meant I had a death wish, but that was a problem for another day.

Around four, Snape asked me to inventory the lacewing flies, Ashwinder eggs, and beetle eyes in the storeroom before I left for dinner. I begrudgingly headed to the potions storeroom, flung open the door, and found two ginger-haired thieves.

"What the devil are you two doing in here?" I spluttered, grabbing Fred and George by their collars and shoving them out of the storeroom. "What did you take? Hand it over."

"Relax, Malfoy, we know you're not going to tell on us," Fred said, smirking.

I cocked an eyebrow. "I'm Snape's assistant now. It's my job to inventory this storeroom, and if anything goes missing, he'll have my head."

The both laughed, clearly thinking I was joking. I crossed my arms and stared them both down.

"If you two don't hand over what you stole, I can fetch Professor Snape right now and you can tell him yourself."

"We didn't steal anything, Malfoy," George said. "Just curious about a certain ingredient in one of our potions from class today, that's all."

I eyed him carefully. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Fred starting at me, his eyes glued to my body.

"I know the exact amounts of every ingredient in this storeroom. I'm going to inventory this entire closet right now, and I swear Fred and George, if I find something missing, I'll tell Professor Snape it was you, and you'll probably end up doing detention with me."

"Doing detention with you?" Fred asked. "I might just give myself up now!"

I glared at him. He winked at me, and I tried to hide my smile.

"I'm going to find what you stole, and when I do, you're going to wish you were never born. Now, get lost, the pair of you," I said, slamming the door to the storeroom in their faces.

I leaned up against the door and closed my eyes. Why is it that he's infuriating and downright gorgeous at the same time?

I gasped, shocked that I'd even thought that.

"Shut up, Cassie," I muttered to myself. "You hate him. You hate him. You hate him."

When I finished inventorying the storeroom without finding anything stolen, I headed down to the Great Hall, where Cedric was, no doubt, waiting. When I rounded the corner and walked in, I saw him waiting with Gethin, Annamaria, Annabelle, Jermaine, and about a dozen others. When they saw me, the hooting and hollering began.

"Attagirl, Malfoy!" Jermaine said, patting me on the back.

"Make Slytherin proud, Cassie!" Belle called.

I smiled at Cedric.

"You ready for this?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. He smiled a big, goofy smile.

"Ready as I'll ever be," he replied.

Together, we wrote out names on tiny pieces of parchment, then joined hands, jogging to the middle of the hall and up to the Goblet of Fire. All around us, people were cheering. We stepped over the Age Line and faced the goblet. I turned to him.

"Ready, Ced?" I called, loud enough for all to hear.

"Ready, Cass!" he called back, grinning from ear to ear.

Our hands still joined, I lifted my left hand and he lifted his right. We smiled at the crowd of our friends, took one final step forward, and dropped our slips of parchment into the goblet. The blue flames rose for a moment, then dissipated.

Cedric and I stepped away from one another, me curtseying to him and him bowing to me, laughing as we did. Suddenly, the sound of cheering increased tenfold. I looked over to the door of the hall to see Fred and George jogging in, high-fiving their friends and acquaintances along the way.

"What exactly are you two doing here?" I asked incredulously.

"We're throwing our hats in the ring, Malfoy. Much like you," said George.

"You can't," I said matter-of-factly. "I don't know if you were even listening, but-"

I stopped short, noticing the little green vials in both of their hands. I stepped closer to them.

"What the- Ageing Potion?" I roared. "AGEING POTION?!"

"That's right, Cassie," Fred said, poking me in the ribs. "One drop of this and we're a few steps closer to eternal glory."

"One drop of that and you could be halfway to the grave, Weasley. What the hell are you thinking, brewing Ageing Potion, no doubt with ingredients you stole from the storeroom?" I asked. My face was pure anger. They had a lot of nerve, the pair of them.

"Relax, it's a pathetically dim-witted plan, which is why it's bound to work," Fred explained, like I should've known better than to question him.

"Take it from someone who's about to go brew potions for a living," I said, a tiny bit of concern shining through. "You don't want to mess with Ageing Potion, especially if you've never brewed it before. I'm serious, Fred, that was incredibly stupid."

"Alright, alright," he said. "Say we don't take it. Think you could sneak our names in?"

"Absolutely not," I responded, my arms crossed again.

"Right. What's it going to take to change that 'no' to an 'absolutely, Freddie, anything for you'?" he asked. He was not flirting with me right now.

"Nothing at all, because I'm not doing it," I said, turning on my heel and heading for the door.

"I'll do your Defense homework for a month!" he called back to me. We were bargaining now, it seemed.

I turned back to him. "Defense is my best subject, next to Potions. Try again."

He cocked his head, considering. "I'll prank your brother for a month straight."

"I can do that on my own. Again."

"Ever thought you'd want a pranking partner?" he asked.

"Never thought about it. I'm a lone wolf in the prank department."

He paused, considering again. He handed George his vial, then strode over to me, until we were only a few feet apart. I looked at the floor, visibly uneasy.

"I'll take you on a date."

For a second, it felt like my heart had stopped.

"What?"

He smiled. "I'll take you on a date. Pick a weekend. We'll go wherever you like. Actually, we'll probably just have to go to Hogsmeade. I know you can Apparate, but we can't do it inside the castle walls-"

"You've read Hogwarts, A History?"

"Is that what you're taking away from this conversation? Whether I've read Hogwarts, A History?"

I shook my head, trying to conceal my laughter. "What if I don't put your name in? Do your…generous offers still stand?"

He smirked. "Ah, see, that's entirely up to you, Cassie. Entirely up to you."

Before I could utter a response, he pursed his lips, then turned back to his brother, grinning.

"Ready, Fred?" George asked.

"Ready, George," he replied. "Bottoms up."

I shook my head, unable to even look up. If this backfires…

By the roaring of the crowd, it must not have. That is, until the goblet aggressively spat out deep blue flames, sending Fred and George flying across the Great Hall. When they stood up, they both had long, shaggy, white beards. The Ageing Potion had aged them a bit too well.

"I did warn you," Professor Dumbledore said, out of nowhere. I could see his eyes crinkled up in a smile, trying so hard not to laugh at them. "I suggest you both go up to Madam Pomfrey. She is already tending to Miss Fawcett, of Ravenclaw, and Mr. Summers, of Hufflepuff, both of whom decided to age themselves up a little too. Though I must say, neither of their beards is anything like as fine as yours."

Clearly embarrassed, they took off running for the door, but Fred turned around to face me.

"Still want to go on a date with me, Malfoy?" he asked, yelling across the hall. When I got an good look at his beard, I burst in a fit of laughter.

"I can't take you seriously with that beard! You look like Dumbledore!" I said, gasping for air. "Go put yourself back to normal and then maybe I'll give you an answer."

The beard made it hard to tell, but I could see him smiling like the fool that he was.


	12. We fell in love in October

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cass takes Fred up on one of his offers. The Goblet of Fire makes its selection for the Triwizard Tournament.

After two hours, a scolding from Madame Pomfrey, and another scolding from me, Fred and George were beardless and sixteen once more. When they emerged from the hospital wing, I was waiting for them, shaking my head.

"You know you shouldn't have done it," I said, looking them up and down.

"You're right, we shouldn't have," Fred said, eyeing me back. "But might I remind you that none of this would've happened if you'd just slipped our names in when we asked you to?"

I laughed, a short, annoyed laugh. "Fred Weasley, if you think you're going blame your own stupidity on me, you've got another thing coming."

He smirked, the corners of his mouth turned upward. "Oh, I think we figured that when you said 'when I find out what you stole, you'll wish you were never born.'"

"And now I know what you stole – banana, newt spleens? Primary ingredients in an Ageing Potion. You can't fool me, Weasley," I said, folding my arms over my chest and arching my eyebrow, daring him to challenge me one more time.

Fred rolled his eyes, then motioned for George to go. He turned back to me.

"Alright, say we did steal from the potions storeroom-"

"Ah! So you admit it?"

"I admit nothing, Malfoy," he said. "If we hadn't stolen from the storeroom, I wouldn't have had the pleasure of your company this afternoon, beard and all."

I looked at my shoes, hiding my pink cheeks from view. You hate him. You hate him. You hate him.

"I find it hard to believe that you went to all this…trouble, just to be around me for a few minutes," I said evenly.

He smiled. "Well, believe it, Malfoy. I'm determined to figure you out, and if it means a botched Ageing Potion and a scolding from Madame Pomfrey, so be it."

I looked up, annoyed.

"Right, let me make one thing clear, Weasley," I said, stepping closer to him. "I'm not a puzzle for you to figure out. I'm not a prototype for you to make perfect, and I'm certainly not going to let your antics slide if they stand to get me in trouble. It's not cute, it's certainly not funny, and it doesn't make me any more attracted to you. Got it?"

He raised his eyebrows at the last bit. Fuck.

He took a step toward me, closing the space between us. I could see his chest moving up and down with each breath he took, and the smell of tobacco and freshly mowed grass overwhelmed me. I suddenly felt this warm, dizzying feeling course through my entire body, the same feeling I felt when we accidentally brushed hands on the Hogwarts Express.

"Any more attracted to me?" he whispered teasingly. I shook my head.

"You know what I meant," I said, looking up at him. God, his eyes were…what the fuck, Cassie? You hate him.

"Sure, I do," he said, reaching out to tap me on the nose with his index finger. I swatted his hand away.

"Don't," I said. "I hate when people touch my nose."

"Do people touch your nose on a regular basis? That's a little odd, Malfoy."

"Let's just say that if you touch my nose again, you won't live to see our little Hogsmeade date," I snapped.

Fuck. What the hell is the matter with me?

He raised his eyebrows again, surprised yet satisfied. "You're angry enough to threaten my life, but not so angry that you'll still go on a date with me?"

"Next Saturday. Meet me in the front courtyard at eleven o'clock," I said. I had sealed my fate.

"Is that eleven in the morning or in the evening? Because if it's the evening, I could stand to sneak out with you, Mal-"

"Eleven in the morning, now go before I change my mind!" I snapped again. He smirked again, the corners of his mouth turned upward again, making me smile in return.

"It's a date, Cassie," he said, before winking at me, as he was wont to do. He turned on his heel and headed down the corridor and out of sight, his scent still making my heart swell and my blood boil even after he was gone.

When I finally arrived at dinner, I found Jermaine and Annabelle waiting patiently for me.

"Are you excited?" Annabelle asked me.

"What are you going to do if your name gets called?" Jermaine asked me. "You gonna cry? Take a bow? You've got to have a plan for when they say you're the next Hogwarts Triwizard Champion!"

"I don't know, probably trip over my own feet and have to be carried out by you two?" I responded, shrugging. They could tell something was wrong.

"You don't seem too excited, what's the matter with you?" Annabelle asked me.

I shook my head. "Later."

She nodded, and we went back to dinner.

After we finished eating, the three of us snuck over to the Hufflepuff table, where Cedric was sitting with Gethin.

"How're you feeling?" I asked him. "Ready to hear that you're a champion?"

He shook his head. "I'm not ready. I don't need to be – you're going to be the champion!"

As I laughed and shook my head, I caught a glimpse out of the corner of my eye.

Daniel.

He sat down next to Gethin, resting his fists on his chin. "You ready to become a champ, mate?" he asked Cedric.

"Again, I doubt it's going to pick me! I feel like this goblet is all knowing, so it knows damn well that Cass would make a far better champion than I."

Dan's eyes widened, then turned to me. We hadn't really spoken since we broke up, not even in the classes we shared. He sat with Harlan McHenry in History of Magic now instead of me.

"Cass?" he asked. "Cass, did you put your name in?"

I nodded, swallowing hard.

He blinked, then shook his head. "I hope it doesn't pick you," he muttered.

Visibly taken aback, I scoffed. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Dan."

"Sorry I don't want you to die, Cassie," he seethed.

"Who said anything about dying?" I asked but stopped short. "You know what? I don't-"

"Don't want to fight?" he said, finishing the sentence for me. "Yeah. Figured you'd say that."

That was it. I stood up from the table quickly. "You know what, Ced, I think I'm going to go back down to the common room, I don't feel super great-"

"CASS!" he hissed. "Sit down! I think it's time!"

I obeyed. Don't make a scene, I thought. Not worth it.

"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision," said Dumbledore. "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber, where they will be receiving their first instructions."

Cedric and I exchanged nervous smiles. On one side of the hall, I saw Fred staring at me. On the other, I saw Cho staring at Cedric.

The goblet's blue flames gradually climbed higher and higher, until a tiny piece of parchment came flying out, floating gracefully into Dumbledore's hand.

"The champion for Durmstrang…will be Viktor Krum!"

Applause all around. It wasn't too much of a surprise.

Suddenly, another piece of parchment came floating out of the goblet, this time more gracefully than the last. Dumbledore caught it.

"The champion for Beauxbatons," said Dumbledore, "is Fleur Delacour!"

"That's her!" Annabelle hissed, tugging on my robes again. "That's her!"

I craned my neck to get a glimpse of Fleur Delacour. Her silvery-blonde hair was in a sleek ponytail down her back, and it seemed that all the boys in the hall were staring at her.

"She has to be part veela," I whispered to her. "I thought their powers only worked on men?"

She shook her head furiously. "I don't know, but if she does have powers, they sure worked on me."

I giggled. "Okay, you're really going to have to tell me what happened with you two."

Finally, the goblet spat out one final piece of parchment. Cedric reached for my hand again, squeezing it tight. Annabelle held my other hand, Jermaine squeezed my shoulder. Out of the corner of my eye, Dan's face was completely pale.

This was it. My heart was pounding, all my extremities going fuzzy with adrenaline. What was I going to do if they called my name? Would Dan even look at me? Would I make an obscene gesture at my brother? What would Fred do? In a moment, I wouldn't have to wonder anymore.

"The Hogwarts champion is…Cedric Diggory!"

My jaw dropped. Cedric's face fell. He was stunned. He turned to me, his face breaking into the biggest smile I'd ever seen on his face. All the sounds around me were muffled – the cheering, the clapping, everything. In that moment, the whole world belonged to Cedric and Cedric only.

"GO! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? GO UP THERE!" I exclaimed, shaking him from his trance. He stood up from the table, his hands shaking violent, but smiling from ear to ear. I could've sworn I saw him wink at Cho. Jogging up to Dumbledore and the goblet, he rounded the corner, then disappeared into the adjacent hallway.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore exclaimed. "We now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real —"

All of a sudden, the same deep blue flames from earlier erupted from the goblet. Dumbledore turned around, stunned. A tiny piece of parchment came floating out, landing in Dumbledore's hands. He stared at the parchment for a moment, clearly in some kind of disbelief or shock. His face hardened.

"Harry Potter."

Silence fell over the Great Hall. We all turned to see where the Gryffindors were sitting, where Harry Potter sat. His green eyes went wide and his already pale skin was white as a sheet. He looked stunned and terrified all at once, looking desperately at his equally stunned friends for support.

"Harry Potter!" Dumbledore called again. "Harry! Up here, if you please!"

Harry stood up and started walking toward Dumbledore. Even from my faraway seat, I could see his legs and hands shaking as he moved. Poor kid, I thought. How did his name even end up in there?

"Isn't he only a fourth-year?" Annabelle whispered, her eyes full of concern.

"I wonder who put his name in there," Jermaine muttered.

"Shut up, the pair of you," I whispered, watching Harry as he walked through the door.

Harry Potter was a bit of a sore spot in my family. My brother hated him, probably because Harry was everything he wasn't – exceled academically, had friends who actually liked him, was an exceptional Seeker – and my father hated him because…well, because he's the reason You-Know-Who isn't around anymore. If it weren't for Harry Potter, my father would probably still be a very openly active Death Eater.

To me, though, Harry Potter seemed like a nice kid who had fame and high expectations thrust upon him that he didn't ask for and didn't want. Every year, it seemed like he ended up in some kind of life-threatening trouble, which I'm sure couldn't be easy for a kid his age. As far as I could see, Harry Potter was just doing the best he could in a world that expected way too much of him.

After a few minutes of awkward mumbling, people started getting up from their tables and going back to their respective dormitories. I turned around to see Gethin, Annamaria, and Daniel all walking off together, excitedly discussing Cedric. I took off for the common room, leaving Annabelle and Jermaine behind.

When I reached the common room, I flung myself onto the black couch by the fire, my favorite couch. I leaned back, closing my eyes and stretching out across it. When the doors opened and the common room was filled with footsteps and voices, I tried to keep my eyes closed and relaxed for as long as I could, until I heard someone stop in front of the couch.

"How'd you reckon Potter got his name into the cup?" I heard my brother ponder aloud. "Perfect Potter, the Triwizard champion. Bet he won't last ten minutes in that tournament."

Amid his snickering, I turned my head toward him, not sitting up or even opening my eyes.

"Draco, you wouldn't last ten seconds in that tournament and you know it," I said matter of factly. "A hippogriff scraped your arm last year and for weeks, you acted like you almost died."

He scoffed. "That beast almost killed me! It's not my fault that oaf Hagrid doesn't know how to control his classes-"

"Baby brother," I said, finally sitting up and grabbing my bag, "blaming other people for your own stupidity and blatant lack of respect for your fellow magical being is unbecoming. It's not surprising, though, as superiority over others and deflecting blame were key tenants of our upbringing."

"I'm surprised you even took anything away from our upbringing!" he shot back. "You wouldn't know it, judging by how you live now."

"And how, exactly, do I live now?" I asked, stepping closer to him, reaching for my wand.

"Befriending blood traitors, screwing Mudbloods...I can keep going if you like-"

"Langlock!" I shouted, grabbing my wand and pointing it straight at his face. Suddenly, I could see his tongue shoot up to the roof of his mouth, unmoving. He kept trying to speak, or attempt to yank it down with pure force, but failed miserably. I stuffed my wand back in my robes, smirking.

"Hope someone knows the counter-jinx," I said to everyone in the common room. "Because I don't!"

I turned on my heel and walked away, leaving Draco's tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth, rendering him unable to say any more horrible things for the rest of the night.

"Alright, you going to tell me what's going on with you?" Annabelle asked, leaning in the doorway to my room.

I jumped, setting down the jumper and black jeans I had been folding. I smiled, then sat down.

"Belle, you have to promise not to laugh at me," I said, deadly serious. "In fact, you can't even tell Jermaine. He'll totally laugh at me."

She nodded, eyeing me carefully. "I solemnly swear I won't tell. What's going on with you?"

I took a deep breath, closing my eyes. "I've agreed to go on a date with Fred Weasley next weekend."

All of a sudden, she gasped, clapping her hand over her mouth. "You did not! I knew there was something going on with you two! Ever since I heard about the World Cup, and the you broke up with Dan-"

"I didn't break up with Dan for him!" I exclaimed, shaking my head. "I don't really know what's happening with me and Fred. It's like…he annoys the living daylights out of me, but when he's standing really, really close to me, and I can smell the freshly cut grass and tobacco that sticks to his robes and he calls me 'Malfoy' and pokes me in the ribs…it's like I don't want to stay away from him. It's almost like something in me needs something in him, and I won't stop until I get that thing I need, no matter how badly I want to."

She blinked, clearly not expecting me to say that. "And you're sure you haven't had feelings for him until now?"

I nodded. "No, I didn't even really know him until…well, until we met at the Cup. That night where we were supposedly getting cozy? That was the first real conversation we'd ever really had. I don't know. Besides, who said I had feelings for him? The only feeling I have for him is hatred, especially when I catch him stealing from the potions storeroom-"

"HE DID WHAT?!"

"Yeah, I know. When he does shit like that, I hate it. But when he's asking me out and making it really clear that he…likes me, I guess, it makes my heart swell. He makes my heart swell and my blood boil, if that's even possible," I said, resigning myself to my feelings.

"You'll have to tell me everything after, you promise?" Belle asked, sauntering into my room and flopping down on my bed. "Not for anything, I can see why you like him. Gingers do it for me too."

I cocked an eyebrow. "Gingers do it for you? What about witches with silver-blonde hair and French accents and veela powers?"

She blushed deeply, hiding her face in her robes. "We were only together a few weeks! I met her on our trip to France. We wandered around the Pyrenees, spent time in the villages, drank Daisyroot Draught…"

He voice trailed off. I stared at her.

"And that was it?!"

"No! That wasn't all," she whispered. "She's a fantastic kisser…and she's a really brilliant witch and she has the most wonderful laugh in the entire world. I don't know! At the end of our trip, we weren't sure if we'd ever see each other again after, so we sort of said goodbye and left it at that. But, the feeling that I'm feeling right now is…similar to how you said you feel around Fred."

"She makes your heart swell and your blood boil?"

"No! I mean when she would walk by and I'd smell her perfume, I'd be overcome with this lovely, tingling feeling," she said, her face softening and her eyes almost glazing over. "Like her perfume was the only thing I ever wanted to smell again. Little things like that. She sort of overwhelmed me, in a way that most girls haven't before. I know she only got here yesterday, but I'm too scared to talk to her! Every time she walks past and the boys all look at her like she's walking proof of God…it makes me want to run away."

I smiled sympathetically. Annabelle always confided in me about her crushes, but this was different. I now understood why she was so scared to see Fleur emerge from the Beauxbatons carriage last night.

"You're right," I said, taking her hand. "She did only just arrive here last night. And she'll be here all year-"

"And that scares me, Cass!"

"But," I said, holding up my hand. "You'll have plenty of time to catch up with her then. If you're not ready to talk to her, don't force yourself to. Give yourself time if you need it, and if she wants to talk…well, I guess you'll cross that bridge when you come to it, won't you?"

Annabelle shrugged. "It's really more of any 'if' we come to it, Cass."

I shook my head. "I disagree. You're Annabelle Greengrass! You're an extraordinary witch, you can hex anyone into oblivion at a moment's notice, you're absolutely stunning. I don't care how beautiful or powerful she is, she's an idiot if she doesn't even want to catch up with you."

She smiled sheepishly. "I appreciate that Cass, I do. What d'you say I help you pick an outfit for your little date next weekend and show me some of that Muggle music you love so much?"

I grinned, then grabbed my radio as Belle dove into my trunk, chucking my once-folded clothes out onto the bed. I was grateful for nights like this, where we could share secrets and talk about boys and girls and pick out outfits for dates. Moments where we could be normal seventeen-year-olds, even if only for a little while.

The week flew by in an instant. I mostly spent it organizing the potions stores, writing a History of Magic essay, and panicking about my date. Soon enough, it was Saturday.

"Cass!" I heard Annabelle hiss in my ear. "Cassiopeia Isolde Malfoy! Aren't you meeting Fred at eleven?"

"Belle, how the hell did you get in here?" I grumbled sleepily, turning away from her. "What time is it?"

"Nine-thirty! You've got to get up and get ready!"

I turned back to face her, annoyed. "I don't have to go for another hour and a half! You know it takes me all of two seconds to get ready."

"Yeah, on any other day. But you've got a date with Fred Weasley today. I'd say it's not like any other day," she said in a singsong voice. I rolled my eyes.

"Don't remind me," I muttered. "I'm kind of terrified, to be honest with you. What if it's awful? What if we have nothing to talk about? What if he annoys me so much that I jinx him like I did Draco?"

Belle turned around and smiled at me knowingly. "We both know damn well what you'll do."

"Pick up a bottle of Ogden's, sneak it back here, drink it with you and Jermaine? Yes, that's exactly the plan," I said, begrudgingly rolling out of bed, my stomach doing cartwheels.

It did end up taking me nearly an hour and a half to get ready. I was so nervous that I had to move slowly and deliberately, otherwise I'd keep shaking and panicking and get too hot and have to sit down.

When I was dressed, I eyed myself in the mirror. Hair was in its usual half-up, half-down, bun-at-the-back-of-my-head style, so that the blonde underneath my hair was on display. When it came to the outfit, I decided to go for comfort: overalls, white t-shirt, long leather jacket, steel-toed boots. In my back pocket, my wand.

"You ready?" Belle asked, standing behind me in the mirror.

I cocked my head, judging myself from head to toe. "I don't really have a choice, do I?"

When I headed up from my room, I ended up running into Fred, who was walking past the Great Hall and toward the courtyard.

It was odd to see him out of his usual robes and in regular clothes: he wore a navy-blue jumper with the Puddlemere United emblem, light-colored denim trousers, and, to my surprise, boots made from what appeared to be dragon hide. Must've been a gift from Bill, I thought. Fred Weasley doesn't strike me as a dragon-hide boots kind of bloke.

He must've heard my footsteps coming up the steps, because when he saw me, he stopped in the middle of the hall. A smile spread across his whole face and he pushed his long, ginger hair back with both hands.

I didn't want to admit it, but it was…hot.

"And where do you think you're going today, Malfoy?" he asked, crossing his arms and cocking his brow at me.

"It just so happens that I've got a date," I replied, stopping in front of him. "I'm actually supposed to meet him in the courtyard right about now."

"Lucky bloke," he said, looking me up and down. "Lucky bloke indeed."

"He's damn lucky," I said, the urge to play a trick on him overwhelming me. "He's in your house, maybe you know him. Name George Weasley ring a bell?"

His smile faded as he feigned annoyance. I pursed my lips, trying so hard not to laugh.

"Oh, you know, that's why I'm here! He actually sent me to tell you he had to cancel, thought I'd might want the pleasure of your company instead," he said sarcastically. I played along.

"Pity! I was really looking forward to spending the day with George," I said, shrugging exaggeratedly. "Ah, well. I guess you'll have to do. Shall we?"

He shook his head, trying to keep his laughter under control.

"Lead the way, Malfoy. Lead the way."


	13. First date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cass and Fred's first date (featuring flowers, dungbombs, family histories, and unchecked rage).

"So Malfoy, what would you like to do?" Fred asked me as we wandered down the path from the castle to Hogsmeade.

I pondered for a moment, trying to make it seem like I hadn't given it much thought. In reality, I'd made a whole list of places I thought I might want to go, but I didn't want him to know that.

"Well, I know I'd like to go to Zonkos," I replied. "I'm in desperate need of prank material, should Draco continue to bother me during school. And then I need to pick up a few new quills at Scrivenshaft's, then mail a letter to Tonks. If you don't have anywhere to be, we could always go to Honeyduke's, and if you really don't have anywhere to be, we can finish at the Three Broomsticks. How does that sound?"

His eyes widened. "Did you just want to go out with me so you could run errands?"

I laughed. "Originally, yes. But then I realized it might be fun to have some company while I run errands. Even if it's the newt spleen thief who still can't brew an Ageing Potion to save his life."

He laughed out loud. It was a rollicking, musical laugh. I usually only heard his laughter coupled with his brother's, and it was nice to hear it on its own.

"I still can't believe you didn't rat us out to Snape," he replied, shaking his head.

I turned to look up at him, giving him a knowing smile. God, he really was tall.

"The only reason I didn't tell is because I don't want to have detention with you or your brother," I said. "You already drive me up the wall enough."

"And yet you're the one who said yes to my generous offer of a date?" he asked, cocking a ginger eyebrow.

Now it was my turn to shake my head. "Yes. After all, I couldn't run all these errands on my own, could I?"

He laughed, but it was quiet after that. Suddenly, fear set in. This is what I'd hoped wouldn't happen, I thought. We've already run out things to talk about. He hasn't annoyed me to high heaven yet, so that's a good sign, but now I don't know what to say. Why did I say yes to this?

"So, how'd you feel when they called Diggory's name instead of yours?" Fred asked me, bringing me out of my own head and back to earth. My head snapped back to look at him, his brown eyes expectantly waiting for an answer.

"Oh," I murmured, trying to gather my thoughts. "I felt alright. I didn't really feel upset or anything. I was too busy being happy for Cedric, honestly. That old goblet couldn't have made a better decision, in my opinion."

He nodded. "Maybe. Diggory seems like the perfect champion. Charming, handsome, talented wizard, seems to have a big head about it-"

"Easy there, Weasley," I warned. "He's my friend, and he really doesn't have a big head about it. He was actually stunned when Dumbledore called his name. Just because you're still sore he's beaten Gryffindor in Quidditch before doesn't mean you get to bad-mouth him."

"I wasn't bad-mouthing anyone!" he exclaimed. "All his mates and supporters are all about him, which I get, but they don't have to drag my friend's name thought the mud while they do it."

Before firing off a snarky response in defense of Cedric, I reconsidered.

"How is Potter, by the way?" I asked tentatively. "I know I'm probably the last person you'd expect to ask, considering how my family feels about him, but I felt really awful seeing him go up there on Halloween. He looked terrified."

Fred's face softened. "He's alright, I guess. My brother's not speaking to him, but they'll sort it out. A lot of people don't really trust him anyway – most of Hufflepuff hasn't let go of the whole Chamber of Secrets, 'speaking to snakes in Dueling Club' thing – so I can't imagine that's been easy on him. But he's Harry Potter. He'll muddle his way through, even if it does almost kill him."

I rolled my eyes. "Right, as long as he muddles through and lives another day."

Once again, silence.

"That's kind of your motto, isn't it? Muddle through and live another day?" he asked.

"How'd you mean?"

"I mean, I did hear about the sort of summer you had. How'd you do it, anyway? Living under bridges, nicking bits of food from Muggles-"

"Right, let's get another thing straight, Weasley," I said, grabbing a fistful of his jumper and pulling him back. He looked stunned. My hand felt hot. This was the first time I'd ever touched him, intentionally. I pulled my hand away, afraid of what I was thinking of doing.

"The only person who gets to bring up my summer – what I did, why I was on the streets in the first place – is me. Frankly, I'm not really ready to talk about it. I made a scene in the Slytherin common room after we arrived, so people know what happened, but as far as where I was…I can only imagine what rumors my disgusting brother has spread around regarding my whereabouts. When I want to tell you about it, I'll tell you about it, but don't push it. Understand?"

His face was hard and his eyes full of the same concerned look as that day on the train, when he found me crying over Daniel in the car. I could tell he felt bad, and I know he didn't mean anything by it, but I had to make my feelings known. I really didn't know Fred Weasley that well, and I wasn't ready to share the ins and outs of my summer on the streets with him. Not yet, anyway.

"Yeah, got it," he whispered. "Sorry I brought it up."

I turned to face forward once more, and realized we'd arrived in Hogsmeade. The only wizarding-only village in Scotland, it was as pleasant and sunny as I remembered it. I turned back to Fred.

"Well, where to first, Weasley? I'm thinking Zonko's, or maybe I'll do Scrivenshaft's-"

"Actually, Malfoy, I've somewhere I need to go. Alone. I'll see in a bit, alright?" Fred asked warily.

I blinked. He probably thought I was going to attack him or something before and now he's leaving. Brilliant.

"Right, brilliant. I'll just be in Zonko's, I guess," I muttered. "I'll see you, Weasley.

As I wandered through the colorful shelves and aisles at Zonko's Joke Shop, my mind raced.

I felt really bad about lashing out at Fred like that. Then again, was I really lashing out? I really wasn't ready to talk about what happened over the summer, at least not with him, and especially not on a first date. Only Annabelle, Jermaine, and Daniel knew where I was and what I did, and they were the people I felt deserved to know the most, even if they didn't understand. I couldn't help it if I didn't want to tell Fred the gory details of being kicked out of my house, running into Sirius Black, and living on the streets of London until my long-lost cousin rescued me.

What if he'd gone back to the castle? What if he'd realized this whole thing was a mistake and just left? That would be a real shit move on his part, but I probably would've left if he'd gone after me like that.

In the midst of my internal battle, I bumped into someone. A tall, ginger-haired someone, carrying a bunch of yellow and green flowers.

"Dogweeds," Fred said, thrusting them at me awkwardly. "Annabelle Greengrass said they're your favorite."

A huge smile spread across my face as I accepted the bouquet from him. "And when did you talk to Annabelle Greengrass, may I ask?"

He smirked. "Let's just say she cornered me at breakfast, filled me in on all your favorite things. The quickest ways to win you over, for lack of a better term."

I blushed, staring at my boots again. "They're lovely. Thanks, Freddie."

Freddie? What the hell?

My head snapped back up to look at him as soon as I realized what I said. He looked just as surprised as I felt. Nevertheless, he smiled, a grateful, crooked smile.

"Anytime, Cassie," he replied, his cheeks turning a shade of pink.

Trying to distract myself from the moment, I turned back to the shocking orange and pink shelves.

"I think I'll just grab some Hiccough Sweets," I said, grabbing three tins of the red and white striped confections. "My mother always sent my brother sweets during his first and second years. Figured he'll be in for a surprise when he eats a few and can't get through a sentence for the rest of the day."

Fred cocked his ginger brow again. "That's the best you can do, Malfoy? Your brother's a pompous little git who makes you miserable, and you're just going to curse him with hiccoughs for the day?"

I gave him a look. "What did you have in mind, then? I'm sure whatever you're thinking is less than tame and would probably get us detention if he tattled."

Fred smiled, then led me to another aisle, where the Dungbombs where stocked.

"Dungbombs? Really? Isn't that a little bit juvenile?" I asked, crossing my arms. "I expected something a little more sophisticated from the prankmaster general Fred Weasley."

"Prankmaster General? Is that what you call me when I'm not around?" he asked, feigning shock. "And you say you don't like me Malfoy…"

"Cut it out, Weasley. Why Dungbombs?"

"If you want to give him the Hiccough Sweets, that's fine. But if you really want to ruin his day, just slip on of these under his chair while he's talking to that Pansy Peterson-"

"Parkinson," I corrected.

"Whatever her name is. Ron says she follows him around constantly, and he likes the attention she gives him. Just slip on under his chair in the common room-"

"Or, let me guess, during mealtime? And let everyone know it was me?"

"Come on, Malfoy, no one's really going to suspect you," he responded. "You're like, the golden girl of Slytherin. Least likely to pull a prank. He'd never know."

Resigned, I snatched a Dungbomb from his hand.

"For your information, I'm not the golden girl of Slytherin. I'm a blood traitor and Muggle lover, remember?" I asked, before turning on my heel to go pay.

"'Blood traitor and Muggle lover'? Are you getting closer to telling me-"

"DON'T PUSH IT, WEASLEY!" I called over my shoulder, not letting him see me laugh.

We spent the rest of the day wandering in and out of the shops in Hogsmeade. Fred had secretly brought along a pack of Sugar Quills in his pockets ('Another one of Annabelle's recommendations'), so I sucked on those as I listened to him tell stories.

Turns out, Fred had a really interesting family. His brother Bill worked as a Curse Breaker for Gringotts (Annabelle wanted to be one), Charlie lived in Romania and trained dragons (as Tonks had told me), Percy worked for the Ministry ('power-hungry git, that one'), and that Ron and Ginny had the misfortune of constantly being compared to their older brothers.

"Ron's got it the worst, I think," he said. "But we can't help it if we're all so unique and unforgettable in our own ways, can we? Besides, Ginny's definitely carving out a name for herself at school. She's starting to get really good at hexes, you don't want to be on the receiving end of one of those…"

I could've listened to him talk all day. My father never had nice things to say about the Weasleys – that they were disgraces to wizard kind, always shamed them for being poor – but after hearing all of Fred's stories, I wanted to be a Weasley.

"What about you, Malfoy? What was it like growing up at the Manor?" he asked, once again bringing me out of my head and back to earth.

I turned to face him, walking even slower than before.

"I don't really know how to describe it," I said, my voice faraway as I searched my memory for something to talk about. "My house was always cold and dark and full of servants, mostly house-elves. The only time things were lively were when my parents had parties. I only ever attended one, when I was fifteen. My mother and father wanted me to 'be introduced into their circles', which meant introducing me to the many distant cousins I'd probably end up married off to-"

"Cousins?!" Fred asked incredulously.

I nodded. "Yeah. I feel like you should've known that - wasn't one of your relatives a Black?"

He nodded slowly, still reeling from the cousin thing, but I continued.

"Anyway, growing up at home was…I don't know, really. My mother and I were always close. She'd braid my hair and taught me how to apply makeup when I was fourteen, and believe it or not, my brother wasn't always such a little git. I'd chase him through the hedge maze and read to him from 'Beedle the Bard' until he fell asleep on me. In truth, my father almost sent him to Durmstrang, because of their staunch pro-pureblood stance, but my mother wanted him to be close to her. She always looked at him as her baby boy."

"And how did she look at you?" he asked quietly.

I stopped, considering this.

"I was her horribly headstrong daughter. Now she'd probably just say I'm horrible."

It took me a moment to realize, but we'd wandered away from the town and were standing in a clearing by a tree, across from the Shrieking Shack. I basked in the silence, needing a break from divulging stories from my childhood.

"And what was it like with Lucius as a father?" he asked, his voice almost a whisper.

I took an even longer pause, considering how to phrase my feelings toward my father.

"He was always…wary of me," I said carefully. "I think he had a feeling I would end up a disappointment in some way. I think he was thrilled to kick me out, just to prove that he was right about me all along."

I don't know how it happened, but the next thing I knew, I was fighting back tears. Fred searched my face, trying to figure out how to make it better but knowing he couldn't, that he probably should just let it happen.

"Merlin, I'm sorry!" I said, laughing away the tears. My eyes stung, but I pretended to have something stuck in them.

"You want to head back soon, Malfoy? We've been out here – god, it's nearly two thirty, I think-"

"No! No, I'm fine, Weasley, really," I said hurriedly. I really didn't want to go back. "What do you say – Honeydukes and Three Broomsticks?"

He nodded slowly. "Sure thing, Malfoy. You look like you could use an Ogden's and ginger."

I laughed again. "You know me so well already, Weasley."

We spent far too long in Honeydukes. I couldn't decide between buying Fizzing Whizzbees and Pumpkin Pasties, so I bought both. Fred ended buying another pack of Sugar Quills but kept them for himself.

Afterward, we wandered down to the Three Broomsticks. The pub was warm and glowing with the golden light of the candles Madame Rosemerta had everywhere. We wandered over to a corner booth, where I heard my name being called.

"Cassie Malfoy! How are you, darling?" Madame Rosemerta called, propping her elbows up on the bar. She was a curvy, smiling woman with curly blonde hair piled atop her head. I bounded over to her.

"I'm alright, m'am! Business is booming, I see?" I asked.

"I should hope so, with this Triwizard Tournament business going on," she exclaimed, turning away from me. "Ogden's and ginger for you, I assume? And what about your date?"

I made a face. "How'd you know I-"

She winked. "I couldn't help but notice you came in with Mr. Weasley there. Don't tell me he wants an Ogden's and ginger, too."

I laughed out loud and shook my head. "No, he doesn't need any of that. I'll take a Butterbeer for him."

She nodded, handing me the drinks as I weaved through the pub and back to Fred. When I set our drinks down, he scoffed.

"Why do you get Ogden's and ginger and I get Butterbeer? That's rubbish, Malfoy, complete rubbish."

Now it was my turn to scoff.

"You do realize you can't buy firewhiskey if you're under seventeen?" I asked him, reminding him that sometimes, he had to follow the rules.

"If Rosemerta looks away, you'll give me a sip, won't you?" he asked, his eyes pleading.

I smiled sheepishly. "I'll consider it."

As we sat and drank, the chatter and movement in the Three Broomsticks made me feel at ease. The alcohol certainly helped as well. It had been a really great day, as far as I could see. I enjoyed spending time with Fred far more than I expected, and he didn't push me to tell him anything I didn't want to tell him. He made laugh, and I was free to tell him as little or as much about myself as I wanted, and I was grateful.

In the middle of a story about how Fred and George stole a map from Filch in their first year, I heard my name again.

"Cass?"

I turned to see Cedric and Cho standing there smiling. Cho looked really happy, and Cedric certainly looked pleased with himself.

"Well, if it isn't the Triwizard Champion himself?" I asked. "What are you two up to today?"

Cedric and Cho exchanged looks. My eyes traveled downward and noticed they were holding hands.

"We've just been at Madame Puddifoot's," he responded. "We're just here to meet-"

"Ced! We're back here!" a familiar voice called. I craned my neck to see who the voice belonged to.

Daniel and Annamaria Dickensen were walking up to Cedric and Cho. They were also holding hands. When they noticed who Cedric was talking to, Annamaria let go of Dan's hand.

"Oh, hey, Cassie," Annamaria said quietly, forcing a smile. "Didn't think we'd see you here."

"Enjoying your day, Anna?" I asked. I wasn't sure if I could be nice to Dan right now, but I wasn't going to be rude to her.

Dan looked down at Fred, whose eyes were downcast.

"Weasley," he said, addressing him stonily.

"Light," Fred muttered.

Daniel looked back at me.

"See you moved on quick, didn't you, Cassie?" he asked, arching his eyebrow. What the hell was his problem?

I didn't know if it was the alcohol or the residual anger at his comments during the choosing of champions, but I turned to look him dead in the eye.

"See you did too, Dan," I shot back, slurring my words ever so slightly. It had just occurred to me that I hadn't eaten breakfast today and had just drank three Ogden's and gingers on an empty stomach. "Bit too quickly for someone who said they wanted to marry me a month ago, but if you're happy."

Dan's face turned an angry shade of red. Annamaria's eyes widened, stunned at my words. Fred's head shot up, ready to defend me, or himself, if need be.

"I'm going to take a page out of your book, Cass, and say I don't want to fight with you," Dan said through gritted teeth.

"If you didn't want to fight, why did you come over here?" I snarled, my hand reaching for my wand. Intoxicated as I was, I was ready to have a duel with Dan right now if he continued like this.

"Why don't you leave us alone, Light?" Fred said, standing up and towering over Dan.

Dan scoffed. "Whatever, Weasley. Just don't be surprised when she says she doesn't want you after today. She has a habit of that."

That was it. I was done.

I shot up from the booth, knocking over all the glasses on the table and pointing my wand under Dan's chin. Out of the corner of my eye, Cedric and Cho stepped back. Annamaria grabbed Dan's hand. Fred tried grabbing my left arm, but I pulled away.

Silence. Everyone was looking at us. Dan looked at me, terrified.

"Leave me alone, Daniel," I whispered, so quiet that only he could hear me. "I mean that. Stay the hell away."

His chin trembled. He tilted his head down, the closest he could bring himself to nodding. I took my wand away from his face and stuffed it back in my pocket. Under his chin, I could see the mark the tip of the wand had left.

Behind me, Fred look simultaneously scared for me and of me. Like he remembered I was a Malfoy and that I was probably capable of something dark. I'd definitely ruined our day now.

After looking from Dan to Cedric, then over my shoulder at Fred, I took three steps back, then stumbled back out of the Three Broomsticks and out of sight.


	14. Please, please, please let me get what I want

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The date ends on a disastrous note, and the most romantic detention in human history takes place at Hogwarts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: mentions of vomiting.

My vision was really, really blurry.

I could tell that I wasn't walking, or running, straight, but I didn't care. I just wanted to go back to the castle, crawl into bed, and forget that today ever happened. Suddenly, I found myself leaning over the stone walls along the path back up to the castle, grasping for support.

My stomach was doing cartwheels and I couldn't think or breathe. Daniel's words played in my head over and over, like a record that couldn't jump a scratch.

Don't be surprised if she says she doesn't want you after today. She has a habit of that.

I pushed that thought away, shaking my head violently. Don't think about him.

I tried to think about something else, but my mind traveled back to Fred, and his face when I drew my wand on Daniel. I couldn't explain it other than to say he looked terrified. He looked terrified of me.

I tried to bury my anger, my guilt, my rage, but they overpowered me like a tsunami. Suddenly, I felt like I was underwater, like everything around me was faraway and garbled, and that no matter how badly I wanted to come up for air, water kept getting in my nose and down my throat and I could only choke.

Suddenly, a voice, clear as a bell, rang in my ears. It made me want to swim up to the surface.

"Bloody hell, Malfoy, what happened to you?"

It was Fred. He'd found me slumped against the stone walls, my head lolling every which way. My eyes were stinging from tears, and it wasn't water that I was choking on – it was my own vomit. I'd never been so drunk that I became physical ill, but I guess there really was a first time for everything.

"Cassie, look at me," he said in a low voice. "Can you hear me?"

I nodded, not meeting his gaze. As if I weren't humiliated enough, Fred Weasley found me drunk, crying, and choking on my own vomit in public. This day was definitely ruined.

I let my head roll back and lean against the wall. I looked at him, my vision blurred by tears.

"Reckon this is a date you'll never forget, Weasley," I slurred, trying to make him laugh. His face was stone. He wasn't angry, or so I thought. He was scared.

"Cassie, how about I get you back to the castle, yeah?" he said, picking me up off the path. "Can you walk? You need me to carry you?"

"NO!" I slurred, before turning away from him and vomiting a little more over the side of the short wall. He grabbed me around my waist and turned me back toward him gently. He stared at me, long and hard, searching my face for something, but coming up empty.

"You're a danger to yourself, Malfoy, you know that?" he said flatly.

I shrugged. "Like you're not a danger to yourself half the time, Weasley."

"Yeah, well, I've never been caught drunk and puking on myself in public after nearly hexing my ex into oblivion," he shot back, pushing a strand of blonde hair out of my face with his index finger. "You're a whole new kind of menace. Not to mention you scared the living daylights out of me."

Immediately, the anger and rage were replaced by pure guilt. He really did look scared. I'd never seen Fred Weasley look scared before. In that moment, I decided I never wanted to be the reason why he looked that way ever again.

He cocked his head, then reached into his pocket for his wand and pointed it at my tear-stained, puke-stained face.

"Scourgify," he muttered, and I felt the tears evaporate and my mouth taste clean again. I still felt drunk as all hell, but at least I wasn't covered in tears and puke.

"Thanks," I muttered. I tried to turn away from him, but he stopped me, his left hand reaching out and grabbing my waist again. I wanted to pull away at first, but I didn't. Instead, I let my instincts and my stubbornness be damned and I let him pull me in for a hug.

Hugging Fred Weasley was about as nice as I expected. His left arm snaked around my waist, but his right stroked my hair gently. I just stood there, frozen, my arms around his neck, breathing in the scent of tobacco and freshly mowed grass.

I now understood how Annabelle felt about Fleur; when I was near him, letting his presence, his scent, his height, his kindness, overwhelm me, I didn't want to experience anything else for the rest of my life.

After a few minutes, I pulled away, looking into his eyes, waiting for him to say something. Instead, he adjusted his jumper and pushed his hair out of his face with both hands again, exposing the redness in his cheeks.

"Right, let's get you back up to the castle, yeah?" he asked quietly, as if the last few minutes hadn't even happened. Taken aback, I nodded, turning away from him again and walking back to the castle. This time, he didn't try to stop me.

We walked back in silence.

When we finally reached the courtyard and it was time to part ways, I grabbed his jumper again like I did earlier in the day.

"Thank you, Fred," I whispered. "I'm really sorry for wrecking the last bit of the day- "

"You didn't wreck anything, Malfoy."

"I appreciate that," I said evenly. "But I feel like it made the rest of our day complete rubbish, and it was a really nice day, honestly, I haven't laughed like that in a long time. I didn't want to part ways without saying that."

He nodded, studying his boots. "I had a really nice time with you too, Malfoy. But you can't scare me, or anyone, like that again. I don't know what happened with you and that Daniel bloke, but you'd better figure it out. Otherwise…"

I nodded. "Right. I know. I thought it was figured out, but if he wasn't such a- "

"If it was figured out," he interrupted, "you wouldn't have pulled your wand on him and nearly hexed him to hell today. Just saying."

I just stared at him blankly.

"When you figure it out, let me know, alright Malfoy?" he said, before forcing a quick smile and hurrying up the steps to the castle and out of sight.

It wasn't until he was gone that I realized I'd left the flowers he gave me on the table in the Three Broomsticks.

I trudged up to my dormitory, past the groups of students showing off their new "SUPPORT CEDRIC DIGGORY!" badges in preparation for the first task of the tournament. I didn't even register the rest of the world around me – I just wanted to disappear.

When I opened the door to my dormitory, I shut it just as quickly, thankful that Salazar Slytherin had come up with idea for single-room dormitories for Slytherin's. I did, however, notice that Annabelle must've dropped by, as there was a note and two strawberry Sugar Quills laying on my quilt.

Gone for a walk with F.D. She asked me to talk this morning. Not sure how long I'll be gone. You better tell me everything about your date when I'm back, though.

Love, A.G.

I smiled, throwing the note on my dresser and climbing into my four-poster bed. Before laying down, I fumbled through my trunk to find five tiny bottles of Dreamless Sleep Potion stuffed into the side between my socks and underwear. I'd brewed some in Andromeda and Ted's basement before I left; I'd never been a heavy sleeper, and with everything that happened over the summer, I wanted to plan ahead for some sleepless nights.

Placing the ornate, purple liquid-filled bottle on my dresser, I leaned over and turned on my radio, a maroon Roberts R747 that I'd stolen somewhere in east London. The universe must've sensed I'd had a rubbish day, as the opening chords of "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" by The Smiths started playing softly through the crackling white noise of the radio. While I thought Morrissey was a pompous git, I did love that song.

I pulled the silver and green striped blanket up to my chin and downed the potion. As I drifted to sleep, the lighthearted melody filled my ears, the melancholy lyrics perfectly summing up my day.

I was happy in the haze of a drunken hour,

But heaven knows I'm miserable now

"Miss Malfoy? Miss Malfoy? Am I going to have to stand over you all morning and attempt to wake you?"

My head shot up. It was Monday morning. I'd fallen asleep in Potions. Shit.

"Professor Snape, I'm so sorry," I muttered, rubbing my eyes and trying my best to look guilty. "Forgive me. Didn't sleep much last night."

Snape arched a thick, black eyebrow at me, clearly in disbelief. The rest of my class snickered at me. Next to me, Cedric tried not to laugh.

"Ten points from Slytherin, Miss Malfoy, and you'll be doing detention with me every night this week," Snape announced, turning back to the front of the class. "Since you were fast asleep when I made this announcement, I'll have you know that next week, we will begin the process of brewing Veritaserum."

My ears perked up. "Really? That's brilliant!"

"Thank you for your input, Miss Malfoy; an attempt to get out of detention, no doubt," he said. My face burned. Snape rarely called me out in Potions for not paying attention; now that I was his assistant, I should've been on my best behavior.

"For next week, I want two rolls of parchment on the difficulties that come with brewing Veritaserum and the methods in which to resist it," Snape said, the class groaning as he spoke. "I want these in my hand at the start of next class. You may go."

As I gathered my belongings, Snape spoke again.

"Everyone except you, Miss Malfoy."

I groaned quietly, then hoisted my bag over my shoulder and trudged up to Professor Snape, resigned to my fate.

"Professor, I really am sorry, you know that's unlike me- "

"I expect excuses from your brother, Miss Malfoy, not from you," he said, his back turned. "You will be cleaning out the storeroom each day this week, as it has been thrown into disarray by a student, no doubt. Some sort of prank, I assume."

I tried my best not to groan again.

"Professor, I just cleaned out the stores on Friday, if you know who did it, why can't they just clean- "

"Because I don't trust any other student but you to know the exact makeup of that room," he snapped. "You, along with the student who made the mess in the first place, will be cleaning as part of detention. I will be indisposed Wednesday afternoon, so I trust you will keep your counterpart in check in my absence."

I forced a smile. At least he said he trusted me, even if it didn't sound very nice.

"Of course, Professor. You can trust me."

With a dismissive wave of his hand, I turned around and headed out of the dungeon.

Apparently, Annabelle had had a far better Saturday than I did.

"She asked me at breakfast if I wanted to go for a walk, and I almost said no, but I didn't," she explained excitedly. "We ended up being out for almost two hours! I think we're just going to be friends. I think I'm okay with that."

I nodded. "As long as you're happy, Belle, I'm happy for you. See, I told you talking to her would be just fine!"

"I know, I know! Cassiopeia Malfoy was right again, what else is new?" she teased. "Besides, maybe if I end up in France, breaking curses and such, maybe I'll see her again. You never know."

I shrugged, smiling. After a few minutes of chattering about Charms homework and my detention with Snape, Annabelle took off for Arithmancy, leaving me alone at the table to attempt to eat my lunch. After about five minutes, I heard a loud THUMP! on either side of me.

To my left, George Weasley sat down, his chin resting on his fist. To my right, Lee Jordan sat with his arms crossed and one leg propped up on the bench.

"What'd you do to him?" George asked, arching a ginger eyebrow, the same way Fred always did.

"What did I do to who?" I asked, my tone reminiscent of Sirius Black's when he asked me the very same thing so many months ago.

"Fred's not been himself since Saturday," Lee said, poking my shoulder. "I reckon it's because you're not over a certain Ravenclaw prefect."

"Well I reckon it's because he had to clean puke off your jacket, Malfoy," George teased, poking my other shoulder. My hair whipped in front of my face, hiding my red cheeks.

"First of all," I huffed, "how'd you know about the puke thing? And second of all, I am over Daniel. If he hadn't come up and humiliated me in front of Fred- "

"Ah, Light poked the bear and the claws came out," Lee said, nodding exaggeratedly. "What exactly was said?"

"None of your business, Jordan," I snapped, turning back to face George. "Is he okay?"

George shrugged. "He's alright. Got detention this morning, but that's not out of the ordinary. He didn't talk much Saturday and Sunday. Mostly just stared at the ceiling, asking us if we knew anyone with a radio so he could listen to music."

My ears perked up again. "Why'd he want that?"

"I dunno, Malfoy," George said, shrugging again as he stood up. "Why don't you ask him yourself?"

I turned back forward, shaking my head. I hadn't seen Fred at all today, but I was determined to seek him out. Cedric and I didn't talk about what happened on Saturday, and while I hadn't seen Daniel either, Annamaria Dickensen didn't hesitate to throw me a dirty look during breakfast.

I really did feel bad about what happened; I felt bad that Cho and Cedric had to see that side of me, I felt guilty for saying what I said in front of Annamaria (because she didn't deserve that), and I felt bad for scaring Fred the way I did. The only person I didn't feel bad for was Daniel; he had no right to have a go at me for being out with Fred when he was out with someone who was very clearly his new girlfriend. He could still be upset about the end of our relationship without dragging my name through the mud.

My racing thoughts came to a screeching halt, as I realized it was time for Charms. I'd also just seen Daniel leaving the Great Hall. Suddenly, Fred's words replayed in my head.

I don't know what happened with you and that Daniel bloke, but you'd better figure it out.

I wasn't even sure why I was going to all this trouble for Fred – I didn't even like him like that, did I?

Wednesday came around quickly, and so did my Wednesday detention. Snape had failed to tell me that the student who made the mess in the Potions storeroom wouldn't be starting detention until today, so I was left alone to clean all of yesterday and today. Since I was left to my own devices, I decided to lug my radio into the potions classroom as a way to occupy myself while I worked.

When I opened the storeroom door, I began where I left off yesterday organizing the cannisters of knotgrass, valerian root, and vials of dragon's blood. I leaned over and switched on the radio. There was static for a moment, then "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" began to play.

I chuckled. Clearly the universe wanted me to listen to The Smiths all week long. While they weren't my favorite band in the world, I did enjoy this particular song. Absentmindedly, I started singing softly.

Take me out tonight,

Oh, take me anywhere, I don't care, I don't care

I don't care

Driving in your car

I never, never want to go home,

Because I haven't got one

As the second verse continued, my voice grew louder, until I was full on belting the chorus, making all the little vials shake around me.

"AND IF A DOUBLE DECKER BUS CRASHES INTO US/TO DIE BY YOUR SIDE IS SUCH A HEAVENLY WAY TO DIE," I bellowed, a smile stretching across my face, not caring if the entire castle heard me. "AND IF A TEN-TONNE TRUCK KILLS THE BOTH OF US/TO DIE BY YOUR SIDE, OH THE PLEASURE THE PRIVILEGE IS- "

"What the bloody hell was that?"

Out of the blue, I dropped a vial of dragon's blood, watching it shatter bright red on the ground and on the hem of my robes. I looked up, completely embarrassed, to see that Fred had joined me for detention.

He was standing in the doorway, bag slung over his shoulder, his red and gold tie askew. When our eyes met, he ran his hands through his already messy hair. My stomach kept turning over and over.

I stepped out of the closet and into the low light of the classroom, folding my arms over my chest.

"So, you're the one who made a mess of the storeroom," I said evenly, holding my head high.

"Guess I am," he muttered, looking around the room. The radio was still on, some Cocteau Twins song now playing through the static.

I exhaled exasperatedly. "Even after I asked you not to mess around in there?"

"Look, I'd rather not get a lecture from you, Malfoy. Can you please tell me what you need me to do? I'll do it and stay out of your way and then I'll be gone," he huffed. George and Lee were right. He wasn't himself.

"You can start by cleaning up the dragon's blood I've spilled," I said, walking across the room to grab a broom, then thrusting it into his hand. "No magic allowed in detention."

He rolled his eyes and followed me up to the closet, where the blood and glass lay in a puddle on the floor. I stepped over it gracefully, then went back to counting and storing the valerian roots. We went about our business in silence for what seemed like forever, with him reorganizing the boomslang skins and lacewing flies and me measuring rose oil and pouring it into tiny vials.

When I turned around to place the vials on an empty shelf, I bumped into Fred, who was reaching over to close a container of lacewing flies.

"Merlin, Weasley, watch it," I muttered.

"It'd be much easier if I wasn't crammed in here with you," he said icily. "I didn't even steal anything this time. Why the bloody hell am I even here?"

I stepped back, eyeing him warily. "What do you mean?"

Fred exhaled loudly, his face contorting into an expression that could only mean that he'd said too much.

"In class today, Snape made an announcement that ingredients for Polyjuice Potion were going missing. You know, lacewing flies, boomslang skins. He asked for whoever was stealing to come forward, so I did," he explained. "Told him George and I were brewing a batch. It wasn't true, of course, but I also told him that we stole stuff for the Ageing Potion too."

My eyes widened. "You told him?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Figured if I was just cleaning out the storeroom, it wouldn't be the end of the world. Besides, if I was cleaning out the storeroom, it meant getting to talk to you. You didn't think I'd pass that up, did you?"

I blushed, a smile playing across my lips.

"Be that as it may, Weasley, but I'm curious as to who would be stealing Polyjuice ingredients from Snape's private stores," I said, shaking my head. "I've heard rumors about Harry Potter's penchant for it. Could it be him?"

Fred shook his head. "He's steered clear of it since second year. Besides, his friend Hermione was the one who brewed it that year, not him."

I nodded. Hermione Granger was a Muggle-born witch in Draco's year. She was apparently the brightest in her class, but my brother despised her for no other reason than her non-magic background, and he didn't try to hide it.

"Whoever it is, I'm sure I'll figure it out soon enough," I muttered, going back to filling the shelves with rose oil. "One of these days I'll probably catch them in here like I caught you."

He smirked. "Best day of the whole year."

"What was that?"

"Nothing, Malfoy," he said, his voice low. "Nothing at all."

It was silent once more. We kept working, and I hadn't realized that we'd been in there nearly two hours. At this rate, Snape wasn't coming back, so I was in here with Fred until I decided we were done.

Was it bad that I almost wanted to stay down there with him all night?

Probably. Get it together, Cassie.

"Are you okay?" I heard him ask.

I turned and smiled slightly. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

He resumed pouring mistletoe berries into containers and handing them to me to put away. "Last I saw you, I'd just cleaned you up from nearly gagging on your own puke, and we- "

"I'm fine, Fred. Really, I am," I said hurriedly. He stopped pouring the berries.

"Right. You know you could tell me if you weren't though, don't you? It's…you should know I'll always listen to you, if you need someone," he said, the words spilling out of his mouth quickly. He looked up at me, hoping I didn't say something snarky to him in this apparent moment of vulnerability.

I just forced a smile and nodded. "I appreciate that. I just didn't think you'd want to talk to me because of Daniel, that's all."

"Look, it's really not my place to ask about him, and I shouldn't have on Saturday. It's just- "

"After the end of term, my parents found out I was with Daniel," I said, the word spilling out as quickly as Fred's a moment ago. What the fuck, Cassie? I thought. Are you sure you want to relive this right now?

He waited patiently for me to continue.

"They gave me an hour to pack my trunk and get out," I said slowly. "I went to Daniel's, but he wasn't there. I really didn't have anywhere else to go, and I wasn't going to drag Daniel and his Muggle mother into my family drama, so I…lived under various London bridges for the summer until I was discovered by my long-lost cousin, the one from the Cup."

I exhaled, my throat dry and my face hot. Fred just stared at me.

"That's where I was all summer," I said. "Muddle through, survive another day, right?"

He shook his head slowly. "You little vagabond, you. That's mental. I…you really didn't have to tell me any of that, I know it isn't my place and I shouldn't have- "

"Look, I told you. You know. Now there aren't any questions. As far as I can tell, there are no secrets between us anymore," I said, shrugging. "Right?"

"Right," he muttered, running his hands through his hair one more time. "No secrets."

I wondered what we'd do next. I was growing tired, and after divulging that information to Fred far earlier than I expected, I needed to go lay down and not think for a while. Thankfully, we were almost through.

"What's that song called?" Fred asked, jerking his head toward the radio, which was now playing "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want."

I shook my head, annoyed as all hell. "For the love of Merlin's saggy left nut, did someone bewitch this thing so that it only plays The Smiths?"

Fred laughed his rollicking, musical laugh. "I like it. It's…unlike any songs I've heard before."

I shrugged. "Yeah, The Smiths are popular with Muggles. Found a lot of their music in shops this summer."

As I rambled on about the various Muggle cassettes and records I found in secondhand shops, I failed to notice that Fred had sidled up to me, offering his hand. I eyed it carefully.

"What are you doing, Weasley?" I asked stupidly. I knew what he wanted. I wanted it too.

"I'm in the mood to dance, Malfoy," he said, wiggling his fingers at me. I shook my head.

"If Snape comes in here and finds us, we're in big trouble."

"You don't think he'd want to dance with us, do you?" he asked, cocking his brow.

I threw my head back laughing and took his hand, not as reluctantly as I thought I would. My left hand on his broad, muscular shoulder and my right hand entwined with his, we swayed to the chorus of the song. He spun me around a few times, nearly tripping me, but I couldn't stop laughing. I didn't care if people heard us. No two people had ever had this much fun in detention before, I was sure of it.

I don't remember how long we were dancing; it could've been the two-minute span of the song or it could've been two hours. I didn't even remember laying my head on his chest, but I must have. I thought I felt his lips on the top of my head, but I must have imagined it. I must have.


	15. Betting on us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cass overthinks things. The first task takes place, Annabelle and Jermaine take a gamble, and Fred asks a question.

Dear T,

I got the package from your mother. Tell her thank you from me.

I went on a date with Fred Weasley last weekend. After three Ogden's and gingers on am empty stomach and a run-in with Daniel at the Three Broomsticks, it ended in disaster. I thought he wouldn't want to see me again after I nearly cursed Dan and puked all over my face and jacket (don't ask!).

Then he ended up serving detention with me on Wednesday. Snape left me in charge (some meeting with staff? He made excuses but I didn't believe them) and we ended up talking and dancing together in the potions classroom until an ungodly hour. I could've sworn he even kissed me – or tried to, at least, it was only on the top of my head – but I've tried not to think about it since then. I'm really not sure I want to dive into another relationship, but I can't seem to stay away from Fred, which kind of makes the 'not wanting a boyfriend' thing a little difficult.

But he is a really great dancer. And the maybe-almost-kiss was sweet. I think you may have been right all along. Damn you, cousin.

Love,

C

I folded up the letter, tied it to Lyra's foot, and sent her on her way. It was a misty, grey morning, but the chatter amongst the students about the first task of the Triwizard Tournament managed to brighten things up at Hogwarts.

I also hadn't seen very much of Fred since our detention together. When I eventually checked my watch, I realized we'd been in the potions classroom for nearly four hours, having missed dinner and most of our social time for the evening. We hurriedly packed up and parted ways without even so much as a goodbye, him going up to Gryffindor Tower and me wandering the dungeons to the Slytherin common room.

"Where have you been?" Jermaine asked when I wandered into the common room at nearly eleven.

"She's been in detention," Annabelle replied. "Did you completely gut the potions storeroom or something? You look exhausted, Cassie."

I shook my head. "No, actually. I've actually just spent the past – oh, I don't know, four hours or so – doing detention with Fred Weasley."

Jermaine and Annabelle whipped around, eyes wide.

"I KNEW IT!" Jermaine exclaimed, high-fiving Annabelle. "I knew the rumors about the Cup had to be true!"

"I noticed your radio was gone too when I was in the dorm, Cass," Annabelle remarked, arching an eyebrow. "Wouldn't be showing him any Muggle music, would you?"

"Actually, I did. We cleaned for a few hours, but we mostly spent the rest of the time talking. The radio came in handy for the bit of dancing we did as well," I said, brushing my hair out of my eyes.

"DANCING?" they shouted in union.

I giggled, spinning around on my heel and heading for the dorms.

"Goodnight, you two," I called in a singsong voice, my heart pounding as my mind traveled back to Fred spinning me around the classroom, holding my hand, possibly kissing the top of my head. Before my thoughts could travel too quickly, I downed another bottle of Dreamless Sleep and was comatose the moment my head hit the pillow.

"Cass? Cass? Earth to Malfoy!" Annabelle called, snapping her fingers in my face, bringing me out of my trance. I blinked rapidly, rubbing my eyes, then running both my hands through my hair.

"Sorry," I muttered. "Bit tired this morning."

"Well, eat something. Drink something. It'll wake your arse up," she replied, throwing a piece of toast with marmalade and two slices of bacon onto my plate. "You'll need your strength if we're to cheer on Cedric all afternoon."

I laughed, then proceeded to stuff my face. Toast with marmalade and bacon was my breakfast of choice after a night of drinking, but I wasn't hungover. My body and mind just felt exhausted.

"Marmalade on toast? Extra crispy bacon? I didn't think you drank on school nights, Malfoy," Jermaine said, sliding into the seat next to me.

I shrugged. "I don't. I'm just tired. Eating all this food probably won't make me any less tired, though."

"You're right about that," he replied, trying to steal a piece of bacon from my plate.

I swatted his hand away annoyed. "I don't know what's wrong with me today."

He arched an eyebrow, perplexed. "Oh, I could tell you exactly what's wrong with you. It's what's been wrong with since last week."

My face contorted into a confused expression. "If you know so much, what's wrong with me, Pucey?"

He jerked his head in a nod, motioning behind me.

"Turn around, you'll find out," he said, successfully swiping a piece of bacon from my plate and waltzing off. When I turned around to see what he was talking about (and to get my bacon back), I saw Fred standing there.

I gulped, my face growing hot as he smiled down at me. We hadn't really talked over the last few days, but our little dance party in the dungeons was still alive in my memory, the feeling of his arms twirling me around, the maybe-almost-kiss and the fact that I couldn't decide if I wanted another or not.

"Hey," I said, my voice cracking as I spoke.

He smiled. "Hey, Malfoy."

Annabelle turned around, recognizing his voice.

"Come to bother my best friend, have you, Weasley?" she asked, teasing.

Fred rolled his eyes. "No, I haven't, Greengrass. In fact I've-"

"Come to ask her if she wants to have a dance in the dungeons again?" she asked, wiggling her eyebrows at me. I kicked her shin under the table.

Fred's face turned the same shade as his hair. "No, I was actually wondering…d'you fancy a walk, Malfoy?"

My eyes widened. He was acting weird, no doubt, and I couldn't tell if it was because of Annabelle's antics or…something else entirely.

I shrugged. "Fine. Belle, common room at noon? See if you can't find Jermaine and we'll head over to the stands together."

She nodded, then stood up to go, turning to Fred.

"You better not tire her out again, Weasley," she said, throwing us both a far too suggestive glance.

"ANNABELLE DELPHINE GREENGRASS!" I exclaimed through my laughter, my jaw slack. Fred's face was still the same color as his hair as he tried to hide his shock and his laughter. I turned back to him, trying to focus on what he was going to say to me.

"So, are we taking a walk?" I asked.

He smiled. "Well, I was going to ask if I could walk you to class, but if-"

"Oi! Weasley! Get a move on or we're going to be late!" called Angelina Johnson from behind him, playfully punching his arm as she breezed past.

Fred turned to her, then back to me, then back to her, then back to me one last time.

"I'm really sorry-"

"Go! Go, I'm going to be late anyway," I said casually. "Whatever you wanted to tell me, it can wait. I've got plenty of other classes you can walk me to."

He smiled gratefully, then turned around to catch up with Angelina. A smile spread across her face as he fell into step by her side. As I watched them go, I was almost grateful, as I wasn't sure I was ready for whatever he was going to say.

It was a rather boring morning. I struggled to stay awake in Potions with the first-years, as Snape had me going over their homework assignments while he taught, not to mention my mind was in a million other places. I was thinking about what might be on my Potions N.E.W.T at the end of the year, if Cedric was nervous about today, if Annabelle and Fleur were really going to be just friends, what Fred was going to say to me before he took off with Angelina.

What could it have been? It could've been anything. I mean, it could've been:

1) Cass, I don't think I should see you anymore. I'll refrain from getting detention from Snape and I'll stop messing around in the storeroom.

2) Cass, I don't think I should see you anymore. I'm interested in someone else.

3) Cass, I think we should just be friends.

4) Cass, I'm in love with you and have been since you spat firewhiskey on my jumper at the World Cup.

5) None of the above. Cass, you're letting your imagination run far too wild.

None of them sounded like great options. I really did like being around him, and I really did think of him as a friend of sorts. The love thing, however, was also not great, because I wasn't in love with him.

There, I thought. I've said it. You're not in love with Fred Weasley. Why would you be? Sure, he's charming and handsome and seems to care about you, but he's also younger than you and can barely think beyond whatever mayhem he's going to cause in school on a given day. You can't put stock in any sort of future plans with Fred Weasley.

But it would explain the maybe-almost-kiss on the top of my head. I swear I could still feel where his lips may have touched, a tattoo concealed by my dark hair that only we knew was there. And maybe not putting stock in future plans was exactly what I wanted. After all, Daniel's over-eagerness about our future was part of the reason why we broke up. We wanted different things; he wanted marriage, a definite life together. I didn't know what I wanted, but it sure wasn't that.

Maybe a relationship with no future is exactly what you need, Cassie.

Shut up, I thought to myself. You don't need a boyfriend. You certainly don't need him.

But that wasn't exactly true. I thought back to what I said to Annabelle when Fred first asked me out: that there was something about him that I needed, and for whatever reason, I'd stop at nothing to get that thing I needed.

All I could think was that if Tonks were here, she'd say I was trying to convince myself that I didn't like Fred, just as I once convinced myself that I did love Daniel.

When it was time to leave, I gathered up my things and wandered out of the potions classroom, my thoughts still racing. Suddenly, like the universe knew exactly what was going on in my head, someone brought me back to earth by bumping into me in the hall.

"You going to the first task, Cassie?" I heard someone ask. I looked up, startled. It was Daniel. We hadn't spoken since that day in the Three Broomsticks.

I turned to face him, clutching my bag with one hand and my wand with another. I really didn't want to talk to him to begin with, but since I could barely form a coherent thought at the moment, I especially didn't want to talk. I also didn't really have anything to say to him.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm going with Annabelle and Jermaine," I said flatly, not meeting his gaze.

"Cool. Maybe I'll see you there," he replied, forcing a smile and shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. "Cassie, I really-"

"Save it, Dan, really," I said. "I don't want to hear it. I'll see you."

I rendezvoused with Annabelle and Jermaine in the common room after arriving back from Potions. I found them both clutching tapestries that said SUPPORT CEDRIC DIGGORY! in large gold and black letters.

"We found a few people making them," Annabelle said. "Had to stop a few people from writing obscene things about Harry Potter on theirs, but I think ours looks rather nice."

I nodded, throwing off my robes, stuffing them into my bag and trading them for my leather jacket and a forest green stocking cap. Classes had stopped for the day because of the first task, so everyone was dressed as they would be on the weekend; Annabelle in her turned-up denim trousers and trainers, Jermaine in a black jumper, black pants, and black hat.

"Alright, we ready to cheer on Ced to victory?" I asked, holding my arms out for the two of them. They linked their arms in mine, and we started off toward the arena.

When we got outside, I could see it in the distance; the arena must've been conjured up by Dumbledore and the rest of the staff in preparation for today. It was about the same size and shape as the Quidditch pitch, with tan canopies covering one side. I tried to get a good view of whatever was in the middle; from my view, it looked like a giant open space filled with boulders. All around us, students whispered and speculated in hushed tones as to what we were about to witness.

Once we finally reached the arena, we climbed what felt like a dozen flights of stairs to reach the top. Annabella, Jermaine, and I found a place to sit and I finally got a good look at the whole arena: sure enough, the middle dipped down to reveal dozens of rocks and boulders. If I didn't know better, I'd think we were on a mountainside instead of in a magical arena at Hogwarts.

I looked around, surveying the landscape, as well as who was sitting around us. A few rows to the right, Daniel sat with Annamaria, Gethin, and Cho. All four were holding banners for Cedric and Daniel was holding Annamaria's hand again. I didn't see Draco, Crabbe, or Goyle anywhere, but I did see Fred and George ambling toward us with a small briefcase resembling a cash drawer, yelling into the crowd at anyone that would listen.

"Bets! Place your bets"

"Bets taken! Bets taken here!"

"Step up, folks! Who fancies a flutter in today's bloodbath?"

"Smart money's on Krum to survive! Any bets!"

Annabelle turned to me. "You betting today?"

I snorted. "I wouldn't say I'm a betting woman, Belle."

"You're not," Jermaine interjected. "But you do have a thing for the bookie."

Before I could even respond, the twins reached our row.

"Fancy a bet, Malfoy?" George asked, thrusting the case at me expectantly.

I shook my head. "I'm not a betting woman, George. Besides, I don't have any money for you to take from me, so it looks like I'll have to pass."

George snorted. "Suit yourself, Malfoy. But I'd have to disagree about the 'not being a betting woman' thing. After you, you did bet on the outcome of the Cup and you won big!"

I threw my head back, feigning surprise.

"I'm not sure I'd call five Galleons big, George," I said, trying not to laugh. "And like I already said, I don't have any money to bet, so you may as well clear out."

"I'll make a bet!" Annabelle called out. She winked at me. I threw her a dirty look.

"Yeah, Weasley, I'll bet too," Jermaine chimed in. "I'll put ten Galleons on Diggory taking first place."

"I'll do the same," Annabelle said, her eyes on Jermaine as she handed George the money. "And I'll also bet ten Sickles that Fred asks Cassie out by Christmas."

My jaw dropped. Leave it to Belle. I looked up at Fred, whose face was as red as it was this morning, his eyes laser-focused on his shoes.

"Only ten?" Jermaine asked, both of them leaning across me to talk. I stood there, dumbfounded.

"Excuse me, no one's betting on me or Fred-"

"I'll bet fifteen Sickles that Fred asks Cassie out in the next two weeks!" he declared gleefully, pressing the silver coins into George's palm.

"I mean, this booth's for Triwizard Tournament bets only," he said awkwardly, before pocketing the coins from both of them. "But you're both on. Freddie, time's a wasting!"

"I'M RIGHT HERE," I exclaimed, a little too loudly. "Are you two seriously betting on me, in front of me?"

George smirked, Fred blushed even more, and they turned to go. I looked at Annabelle and Jermaine, who couldn't stop laughing, then leaped over the arena's wooden seats and chasing after Fred.

"Oi! Weasley!" I called out. Fred turned around, recognizing my voice.

"Find any money to bet, Malfoy?" he asked, his voice faraway.

I shook my head. "No, no, I'm just wondering what you…well, I wanted to say sorry about all that, first of all. The second thing, well…what, exactly, were you going to say to me this morning?"

I could see the blood draining from Fred's face. He looked really nervous. What was he about to say that he looked about to pass out?

"Right, that. Cass, I really wanted to-"

"FREDDIE! Quit flirting and help me out here!" George called from above, trying to stave off an annoyed-looking Hermione Granger, who clearly didn't approve of the boys' betting pool.

He turned to George, then back to me. The crowd was growing louder and louder around us. Suddenly, Ludo Bagman's voice boomed all around, an indication that the first task was close to starting.

"Can I talk to you later?" he asked, clearly thankful for the diversion.

I nodded apprehensively. "Alright. You're making me nervous, Weasley."

He smiled a thin-lipped, anxious smile, then disappeared into the crowd.

Suddenly, the crowd erupting in cheers. I whipped around to see what the fuss was about and saw Cedric walking into the arena. His face was pale and his wand was drawn. I ran back to Annabelle and Jermaine, who were holding up our banner and waving wildly at him. From afar, I saw him crack a smile.

All of a sudden, something thrashed in front of him, crushing the boulders and sending Cedric flying on his back. We leaned over the wood barrier to see what threw him off his feet.

"Bloody hell!" Jermaine exclaimed.

"God, what's he going to do?" Annabella breathed, her hand over her mouth in shock.

I turned to face forward, and when I did, immediately forgot about the betting and Fred's strange behavior.

In the opposite corner of the arena was a dragon. Cedric was about to fight a dragon. Holy sh-

The good news? Cedric survived. He Transfigured a boulder into a large dog to distract the dragon, but he did sustain a nasty shoulder burn. All that said, he came out otherwise unscathed, and was all smiles upon returning to the castle with his prize: a large, golden egg that he retrieved from the dragon.

"What d'you reckon's inside the egg?" I asked him, throwing my arm around his good shoulder as we walked up to the castle.

He shook his head, still smiling. "I dunno! It's a clue to what the next task is, but I'm not entirely sure what it'll be."

I cocked an eyebrow at him. "You want to find out?"

He smiled. "I don't think I should open it here."

"Alright, fine, so don't open it in front of all these people," I said. "But maybe tonight? There's bound to be a party to celebrate your winnings."

"You sure you'll be able to sneak in?" he asked.

"Ced, they teach us the Color-Changing Charm for this exact reason."

"I don't think they do-"

"Oh, will you let me have this?" I exclaimed. "I'll sneak in around eight. I'll even bring Ogden's!"

Cedric smiled, then waved goodbye as he turned to go inside with Cho and Gethin. I turned to head down to the Slytherin common room when I collided with Fred, knocking a piece of paper out of his hand and onto the floor.

"Bloody hell, sorry about that, Weasley," I muttered, helping him pick up whatever it was that he dropped.

"Oh, this is for you, Malfoy," he said quickly. "It's what I wanted to ask you earlier."

My stomach dropped. He extended his hand to give the piece of parchment to me, his hand shaking ever so slightly. From that alone, I wasn't convinced that this was all he wanted to say to me.

"Thanks, Fred," I said. He nodded, then took off with George, Angelina, Katie Bell, and Lee, who were all talking excitedly. I turned back to the piece of parchment in my hands, unfolding it carefully, my hands now shaking as much as Fred's were.

Party tonight. Our tower. Meet George and Lee outside the Fat Lady's portrait at nine. Bring Ogden's. You owe me a dance on a table.


	16. Dancing in the dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two parties take place. After splitting a bottle of Ogden's Old, Cass and Fred decide to let a little bit too loose.

"Cassie, I find it really hard to believe that he only wanted to invite you to a party," Annabelle said as she laid on my bed, making little sparks shoot from her wand as she waved it absentmindedly.

"I know," I said, my voice muffled by the jumper I was pulling over my head. "But invite me he did. Maybe I'll get something out of him when I'm in Gryffindor Tower tonight."

"You sure you'll be able to sneak in?" she asked.

"Belle, they teach us the Color-Changing Charm for this reason," I said, the same as I did to Cedric.

"I don't think they do," she replied.

"No matter," I said. "We're going to the Hufflepuff party, then I'll go to the Gryffindor party and see what Fred wanted. You're welcome to come with, if you want."

She nodded, then went back to her folding. I turned to face my reflection in the mirror.

"What does one wear to a party they've been invited to by a guy they may or may not be involved with?" I asked. "Totally not asking for myself."

Belle grinned. "Cassiopeia Malfoy, I wonder where you'd be without me."

"There!" Annabelle announced proudly. "You look brilliant."

"I look exactly like myself," I answered. "Which is exactly what we were going for. You're a gem."

I turned to look in the mirror. Black, ripped trousers, black blouse, dark green scarf tied in my hair, the blonde pieces pushed to the front. Belle wore gold trousers with the hems turned up and a black t-shirt. While I had to resort to color-changing charms to sneak into parties, Annabelle had an article of clothing to match each house's colors, so that she might sneak in anywhere. After a few more minutes of fussing over hair and searching for my boots, we headed out.

The Hufflepuff common room was located in the same corridor as the kitchens, so we knew where we were going to begin with. When we reached the common room doors, I tapped my scarf to wordlessly cast the Color-Changing Charm, turning my scarf a brilliant, golden color.

Cedric was waiting out front for the two of us. He grinned, tapped his fingers on the barrels in front (the key to entering) and let us inside. All around, the common room was bustling with people drinking butterbeer, cheering for Cedric as he made his rounds through the room, clutching the golden egg. In the corner, a golden record player was spinning a Queen song.

"So, you think you're going to get around to opening that?" I asked Cedric, who was sipping a butterbeer and grinning.

"You want me to do it now?" he asked.

I nodded.

Cedric addressed the room, gesturing to the egg. "Oi! Want me to open this thing?"

The room cheered. Cedric turned to his friends, put his hand atop the egg, and turned it open.

All of a sudden, the room was filled with a shrill, shrieking noise. It sounded like someone being tortured. Everyone dropped to the ground, hands over ears, shouting at Cedric to make it stop, which he did, clearly bewildered.

"Right, well, won't do that again," he muttered. "Sorry, everyone! Carry on!"

The rest of the party went back to their drinking and chatting. I turned back to Cedric, offering him the bottle of Ogden's I had stuffed into my bag, which I snuck out of the dorm at the last minute.

"So you can't open it here," I said. "Where do you think you can open it?"

"I dunno," he said, shrugging. "The next task isn't until after the holidays, so I think I've got a bit of time to figure it out."

We milled about, chatting and drinking some more for a little while longer, but my mind was on whatever awaited me in Gryffindor Tower. I craned my neck to see the clock in the common room, which read eight forty-five. According to Fred's note, George and Lee would be expecting me outside the Gryffindor portrait hole in fifteen minutes. I looked around the room for Annabelle, who was off chatting with a brunette girl who looked like she was hanging onto every word Belle said. I said a quick goodbye to Cedric, then wandered out of the Hufflepuff common room and headed for Gryffindor Tower.

After wandering up the stairs for what felt like ages, I saw George and Lee coming out of the portrait hole. Their faces broke into smiles when they saw me.

"Ah, looking lovely, Malfoy!" Lee exclaimed jovially.

"Yeah, I can't wait to see the look on Freddie's face when he sees you, Cassie," George said, looking me up and down. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm here. I'm not sure why, but I am. Are we going in or what?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest.

George and Lee turned back to the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Balderdash!" they said in unison. The Fat Lady smiled, then the door opened to let them in. George and Lee took both my hands, leading me inside.

I'd never been in the Gryffindor common room, but it felt warm and homey with its red walls, roaring fire, and portraits covering the walls. All around the room, people were leaning in doorways, piling up on couches, or dancing slightly to the music that emanated from the corner record player.

Across the room, I spotted Fred. He was wearing a navy blue shirt, exposing his forearms with all their freckles and scars. I could see him running his hands through his messy hair, his long fingers flexing around the ginger strands. He turned slightly to the right, then fully as he saw me. My breath caught in my throat. It felt like a scene from a movie.

He weaved through the crowd to where I stood. I remembered my scarf was still gold, and I tapped it with my wand to turn it back. Right before Fred's eyes, gold became green, and he looked impressed.

"I was going to try and turn it red, but green looks better on you," he remarked.

I nodded awkwardly. "Yeah, I'd rather not match your walls."

He laughed, then it was quiet, just as it was on our date to Hogsmeade. I looked around for anyone I knew, knowing I'd probably be disappointed. Slytherins didn't really come to Gryffindor parties and vice versa. I wonder how some of the really nasty members of our house would react to knowing I was here.

"So, did you bring the Ogden's?" Fred asked, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, yeah," I said, reaching into the bag I brought and pulling out a large bottle of brown liquid. "Point me to the ginger beer and I'll get pouring," I said, as if it were an order.

Fred raised his eyebrows, then turned around to lead me to a table, where bottles of butterbeer, goblets of water, and cups of ginger beer were laid out, students coming to grab their drink of choice.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a green-eyed, dark-haired, bespectacled boy wander over and grab a goblet of water. I turned around.

"You're Harry, aren't you? Harry Potter?" I asked, smiling at him.

He gave me a blank look. "Er, yeah."

I smiled again. "I was at the World Cup with the Weasley's. Cassie Malfoy?"

His face hardened. "You're Malfoy's sister?"

I nodded.

"Have you got any bets on whether I'll survive this tournament, like your father and brother?" he snapped. I recoiled.

"No," I replied evenly. "My father and brother are vile and cruel, and I don't even live with them anymore. I've distanced myself from the Malfoy name. I'd like to think I'm not like them at all."

He nodded, not sure if he believed me. I figured it was up to me to change the subject.

"So, did you open your egg yet?" I asked.

"Yeah, he did," Fred interjected, taking a sip of butterbeer. "It sounded bloody awful. Longbottom said it sounded like you had to fight an Unforgivable Curse!"

I giggled, then turned back to Harry, who looked like he wanted to disappear into thin air.

"Cedric hasn't figured it out either," I said, trying to reassure him. "But if he does, I'm sure he'll tell you. He actually told me that you were the one to warn him about the dragons. That was really great of you to do."

Harry smiled, his lips thin. "Yeah, well…thanks, I guess."

I nodded, letting him go back to his friends. He looked relieved to not have to talk to me anymore. Turning back to Fred, I snatched a cup of ginger beer, grabbed the bottle from him, and poured a generous amount into the cup. I took a gulp, thankful for the burning liquid courage sliding down my throat.

"You going to do a dance for us, Malfoy?" Fred asked, grinning.

"Your note mentioned a dance, Weasley," I replied, coyly taking another sip. "But I haven't decided if I'm in a dancing mood. Give me an hour and I'll let you know how I feel."

He nodded, resigned to that answer. "Alright, Malfoy, alright."

Once again, silence. I couldn't tell if it was just awkward because we hadn't seen each other all week, or because of the maybe-almost-kiss, or something else entirely. I kept my cup to my lips, not realizing that I was chugging the contents a little too quickly. I noticed Fred was still holding the bottle, which I snatched form him, pouring more into my glass.

"Steady, Malfoy," he said, eyeing me warily. "That blouse is too pretty for you to stain with puke."

I rolled my eyes. "Y'know, Weasley, I was hoping we'd never talk about that again."

He laughed. "I'm only joking. I swear I won't bring it up again…as long as you dance with me tonight."

I put the cup to my lips once more time. "I'll think about it, Weasley, alright? Remember our rule: don't push it. Right?"

He nodded again. "Right. I won't push it."

I smiled, then turned away to find George and Lee, the nearly-full bottle of Ogden's still clutched in my hand.

"OI! WHERE'S MALFOY? WHERE'S CASSIE?" I heard Fred yell from behind me.

I whirled around, losing my balance and nearly colliding with a couch. The party was in full swing at this point; record player spinning classic rock, cups of ginger beer littering the tables in the common room, teenagers of all ages dancing and singing to one another. I lifted my arms and swayed to the music, noticing that the bottle of Ogden's was nearly empty. Funny, I thought. I don't remember drinking the whole thing.

When I regained my balance, I saw Fred ambling toward me, tripping over his own feet. Then I remembered that we'd pretty much split the bottle between us, talking and laughing and slurring our words the more we imbibed. That was all I could piece together, at least at that moment.

Fred pulled me up off the couch, steadying me.

"What d'you want, Weasley! Are you having fun? I'm having fun!" I exclaimed. My cheeks felt hot and my scarf was falling out of my hair. I probably looked a mess, but I'd never felt more euphoric.

"Georgie! Lee! Now's the time!" Fred bellowed to his brother and Lee. They nodded, then in a flash, Lee switched out the records on the record player. All of a sudden, the opening lines of "Stayin' Alive' by the Bee Gees started playing. My jaw dropped, and I screamed a little too loudly. Next to me, Fred grinned.

"NOW, BOYS!" he bellowed again. I looked around wildly, then felt George and Lee's arms hoisting me up onto a table, the same as the night at the Quidditch World Cup. I stumbled around, trying to find my footing. Almost all of Gryffindor House was staring at me, but I couldn't stop smiling. All of a sudden, Fred got up on the table with me.

"You wanna dance, Malfoy?" he asked, yelling over the music even thought our faces were inches apart.

"Why the bloody hell not, Weasley?" I yelled back, hoisting the Ogden's in the air as I began shaking my hips wildly. I was on a table in Gryffindor Tower, about to drunkenly dance with Fred Weasley. I was in no place to object.

"WHETHER YOU'RE A BROTHER OR WHETHER YOU'RE A MOTHER, YOU'RE STAYIN ALIVE!' I called out to the crowd.

"STAYIN ALIVE!" the crowd called back.

As the song played, I spun around Fred, my hair hitting him in the face. Our movements began to mirror one another; disco fingers high in the air, hips swiveling, shoulders shimmying. My face was on fire and my smile was wide. As I screamed the chorus along with the rest of Gryffindor, I caught a glimpse of Fred's face. He was smiling wide and his cheeks were flushed red, but there was a look in his eyes that…did something to me. I could see the lights reflected in them, which were locked on mine as we danced.

Suddenly, we were back in the potions classroom, and the rest of the world fell away. It was just us on a table, drunk and dancing like there was no tomorrow. Music filled the room, but I couldn't tell what song was playing anymore. It didn't matter, honestly.

I didn't know what it was, but Fred Weasley did something to me that I wanted to stop with all my might, but I also never wanted it to stop. I didn't know how to stop it, and if I did, I probably wouldn't. It was so damn confusing and also plain as day.

There's something about him that I need, and I won't stop until I get that thing.

The music kept playing, the last minute of the song reaching its rousing instrumental climax. Fred grabbed my hand and twirled me around, nearly knocking me off the table. Everyone cheered when I caught myself and he spun me back. I looked at the nearly empty bottle of Ogden's in my hand, then looked up at Fred, who was still pink-cheeked, slurring his words, and dancing up a storm. I looked back at the bottle and wrapped my lips around it, chugging the remaining liquid. The room cheered. If only they knew.

I wasn't sure what possessed me to do what I did next. Fred spun me around again, twirling out of his arms, then back in.

Then, I threw my own instincts, caution, and everything else I'd been thinking to the wind, because when he spun me back into his arms for a dip, I reached up, pulled his face toward mine, and kissed him hard on the mouth as the song reached its conclusion.

Silence.

At least, as far as I was concerned there was. I didn't even register that there were still people watching us, that a whole party was still taking place. The song was now "Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen. It's a wonder I even registered that with my mouth attached to Fred's.

Kissing Fred Weasley was so different from hugging him. His arms felt safe and homey, but his lips? Dangerous and addictive and sweeter than every dessert and wine I'd ever tasted in my life. Kissing Fred Weasley tasted like everything I'd been trying so hard to avoid.

When I pulled away, he pulled me back up from the dip, his eyes wide. I couldn't tell if he was pleased or horrified or both. I didn't get a chance to figure it out, because as soon as our eyes met, I stumbled off the table, backing away toward the portrait hole, then climbed out, ambling drunkenly back toward the Slytherin common room.

Way to go, Cassie, I thought to myself. Running away from the things that scare you. Running from your emotions. How typical of you.

I kept moving down the stairs, trying to keep my head down, as it was way past curfew. Suddenly, I heard his voice behind me.

"CASS, WAIT!"

I turned around, nearly falling and hitting my head on the railing of the staircase. Fred jumped down from the step on the stairs and stood two feet from me.

I tried to run. I really did. I tried to run away and forget what I'd done, but I couldn't, because before I could even utter a slurred, drunken word, Fred closed the space between us and kissed me on the lips once more.

This time, it was soft and intentional, like he'd sobered up within the last two minutes and wanted to remember this kiss. I wondered how we'd feel tomorrow.

When he pulled away, he said nothing. We just stared blankly at each other. Then, it was he who backed away from me, ambling back up the stairs as fast as he could to Gryffindor Tower.


	17. Gold rush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cass sobers up, examines her feelings, and visits with her cousin. Fred asks yet another question.

Dear C,

I'm so happy you wrote. Mum and Dad send their love. I think they miss all the laughter (and the knocking over piles of magazines) we brought into the house.

The Prophet's full of stories about the Tournament, and about Harry Potter. That reporter Rita Skeeter is a right menace. In any case, you'll have to tell me all about it (you're an eyewitness I can trust!).

I'm actually going to be stationed in Hogsmeade for something the weekend after next. Official Auror office business, can't say too much. Why don't you meet me at the Three Broomsticks at half past five on Saturday? I've been dying for a proper catch-up. Send your reply with the owl.

Love, T

I felt like death the next morning.

For someone who was about to make potionmaking their career, I was extremely disappointed that I wasn't already privy to a hangover cure potion. Until I gained such knowledge, I was bound to my usual cure: water, as much fried food I could stomach, and a full day spent in bed.

When I trudged into the Great Hall, I stopped in front of Annabelle and Jermaine, who were reading the Daily Prophet when they saw me.

"Morning," Annabelle said slowly, her eyes wide. "Remember anything about last night?"

I shook my head, holding my hand up for silence.

"I don't want to talk about what I said last night," I groaned. "I want to stuff my face and then go back to sleep. Give me a few hours and enough water to quench the thirst of the whole castle and I'll be happy to go into more details about last night."

Annabelle and Jermaine exchanged looks, then snatched my empty plate from in front of me, loading it up with bacon strips, sausage links, toast with marmalade and dried apricots. Jermaine pushed the plate back to me and Belle pressed a steaming mug of coffee into my hand. I gratefully gulped down the coffee and began stuffing my face with bacon, the crispy, salty food settling my stomach slightly.

Annabelle kept staring at me intently, waiting for me to either throw up everywhere or spill the gory details of the Gryffindor party. I looked up at her and Jermaine blankly.

"I don't know what you two are waiting for," I remarked, my mouth now full of breakfast sausage. "Fred and I snogged last night. Big deal. People snog at parties all the time and I'm sure their friends don't stare at them the way you are."

"YOU SNOGGED FRED?!" Jermaine exclaimed, so loud that the rest of the breakfast table turned to look. "Belle, how did you not know?! You seriously snogged Fred Weasley? I can't- "

"Alright, so you snogged Fred," Belle said, gesturing to me with her slice of toast. "But Jermaine and I still have our wagers out. We both bet on Fred asking you out, not just snogging you."

I looked at them. "Well, people do snog without asking each other out. Think of this as a preemptive declaration of your lost wagers."

They exchanged looks, like they knew something I didn't. Before any of us could think of anything else to say, Lyra came flying into the Great Hall, flying lower and lower until she landed gracefully on my shoulder and dropped a letter in my lap.

"Brought me something, have you?" I asked as my owl nipped my shoulder affectionately, her gray wings tickling my cheek lightly. I opened up the folded piece of parchment.

C,

I lied. Make it five o'clock at the Three Broomsticks. I can't wait to see you.

Love, T

"Bollocks," I muttered, putting my head in my hands once more. I'd totally forgotten about meeting Tonks today in Hogsmeade. I scarfed down the rest of my breakfast, then said goodbye to Belle and Jermaine. If I was going to be going out in public at any point today, I was going to need to shower and go back to sleep for several hours.

As I wandered form the Great Hall back down to the Slytherin dormitories, I saw Fred and George out of the corner of my eye. I ducked, trying to make myself as small as possible, but no such luck.

"Surprised to see you in the land of the living, Malfoy!" George called across the hall. I stopped, then turned around slowly, forcing a pained smile. George was all smiles, but Fred was looking at his shoes.

"Don't be fooled by the fact that I actually put on normal clothes this morning. I'm practically a zombie, George," I winced, my head now pounding from walking the tiniest bit too fast.

"Fair enough. I didn't expect much after last night," he retorted. "Also, I've got a question for you: you ever heard that Muggle song that goes…oh, I don't know, something like 'late December, back in '63, what a lady, what a night' or something like that?" he asked, his singing loud and off-key.

I nodded slowly. "'Oh, What a Night' by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons? Was a popular Muggle song in its day. Why, where – or better yet, when – did you hear it?"

George grinned. "No reason – just that Freddie wouldn't stop singing it last night. It was after you left. He came back through the portrait hole, and… how long were you even singing, mate?"

Fred picked up his head slowly, clearly in pain from the firewhiskey he consumed last night.

"Couldn't say, Georgie," he whispered, as if speaking any louder would've made his head explode. "I could not say."

I cocked my eyebrow, my eyes on Fred.

"It's a good song. Now I know for sure you have good taste, Weasley," I said to Fred, winking at him when George looked away. When he turned back and saw us looking at each other, he quickly wandered off, leaving Fred and I alone in the hall. I didn't dare close the space between us, and neither did he. We were waiting for the other to make the first move.

"So, um- "

"Yeah, about that – "

"You think you might- "

"No," I said. "No, I don't think so. We were drunk."

Fred stared at me. "I didn't have the nerve to do it sober."

I raised my other eyebrow, the corners of my mouth playing up slightly.

"Brave of you to admit," I said, nodding slowly. "I'd…probably have to say the same."

He smirked, his eyes traveling back down to his shoes. I waited once again, hoping he'd something else. Hoping he'd kiss me again, so that I'd know if I felt the same as I did last night. If any of it was even real, or it was simply a fantasy that existed only within the walls of Gryffindor Tower.

Finally, he met my gaze again.

God, those eyes…

"Well, I better get on."

"Yeah, me too. Still need to sleep it off. I'll see you, I guess," I said quietly, before turning slowly on my heel back toward the stairs.

I don't think I took more than five steps when I felt him grab my arm, whip me around, and kiss me again.

Right, I thought. It wasn't a dream. It feels the same as it did then.

When we broke apart and my eyes fluttered open, I saw Fred smiling at me, his cheeks slightly pink and his lips a tiny bit swollen. Up close, I could see hundreds of dark freckles dotting his forehead, nose, and cheeks, like the constellations for which I was named.

"Just…thought that might be a more proper goodbye," he whispered.

I smiled, grateful he made the first move instead of me.

"Yeah, I would say it is, Freddie."

His eyes lit up when I called him that. Freddie.

"Now, I guess I'll see you, Cassie," he said, the tiny smile on his face growing a bit wider as he reached out to tuck a stray blonde strand of hair behind my ear. Having his hand that close to my face set my cheeks on fire. I wanted to turn my head ever so slightly and kiss the palm of his hand, but I didn't have the nerve.

"Bye, Weasley," I said, before slipping out of his grasp and finally heading down the stairs, where a nap and plenty of time to overthink things awaited me.

Back in my room, I stared at the ceiling and let my mind race.

In the span of not even twenty-four hours, Fred Weasley and I had kissed three times. Those three kisses, while all occurring at different times, could also mean so many different things.

Cassie, I want to be with you, properly.

Cassie, I wanted to kiss you again to see if I felt anything for you, and I don't.

Cassie, I kissed you again to see if I felt anything for you, and I do.

Cassie, I kissed you again just because and had no real reason for doing it.

Get a grip, Cassie, honestly. Your imagination is running wild again.

I shook my head, turning over to face the window and the clock. Ten o'clock had become one o'clock had become four thirty, and I now had to scramble out of bed to meet Tonks. I pulled my jacket – this one made of denim and falling to my knees – over my black jumper, stumbled around to find my boots, and headed out of the dorm.

When I reached the Three Broomsticks, I didn't see Tonks. I saw a dozen twenty-something wizards, a few older men, and a woman sitting alone with long, silver hair. Our eyes met, and her face broke into a huge smile.

"Wotcher, cuz!"

I grinned broadly, skipping happily toward the booth where my cousin sat and hurled myself into her arms, our laughter filling the pub so much that people turned to stare. I had never been so happy to see another person in my entire life.

"You know, maybe stick to the pink or lavender hair when you come to see me?" I asked playfully. "I don't recognize you when you're all silver!"

Tonks laughed, shaking her head and turning her hair to a spiky, bubblegum pink cut.

"You like the shorter hair?" she asked, arching her eyebrow. "I'm not totally sold on it quite yet."

I nodded. "If anyone can pull off that color and that cut, it's you. If you don't like it, you can always change it?"

She laughed, then gestured for me to sit down, an Ogden's and ginger already sitting in front of me. Not wanting to be rude, I reached forward and took a tentative sip. It took everything it me not to throw up again, same as I had the last time I was here.

"Well, how the hell are you? You've been at school for three months and I've barely heard anything about this Triwizard tournament or about you working for Snape or about a certain Fred Weas- "

"One thing at a time, Tonks," I said, rubbing my temples. She noticed the look on my face, then leaned back in the booth, smirking at me.

"Or, you could always tell me why you're so hungover," she giggled.

I rolled my eyes at her. "Later. First things first: I'm fine. School is good – helping Snape isn't so horrible, except when he's making me clean the potions storeroom ten times a week- "

"How's Defense?" she interrupted excitedly. "What's it like having Moody as a professor?"

I laughed. I'd missed her enthusiasm, her questions, and her whole big-sisterly attitude. It felt like summer again, just the two of us listening to David Bowie in the backyard and drinking whiskey in the moonlight.

"He's…something, I'll say. Has his eye always done that thing where it rolls back in his head and then- "

"Wobbles round and round for about ten minutes after? Yep, as long as I've known him," she said, taking a sip of her drink. "Is he a good teacher? Does he always tell you- "?

"Yes, he begins and ends every class with a speech about constant vigilance," I said. Tonks broke into a smile, clapping her hands together and laughing.

"Yep, that's Moody! I'm glad he hasn't totally scared the daylights out of you. He's scared plenty of grown men I know," Tonks mused, taking another sip, before gesturing to me. "Right, so school is good, you like your teachers, Snape isn't totally driving you mad. Now tell me the stuff I really want to hear."

"Like what?"

"What d'you mean 'like what'? I mean what's going on with you and Fred Weasley!" she exclaimed. "You really think your cousin-slash-big-sis came here to not talk boys with you?"

I rolled my eyes, taking another careful sip of Ogden's and ginger.

"It's going…well, let me tell you what happened last night, and I'll let you figure it out," I said slowly. She sat up, leaning across the table to listen intently.

I exhaled, closing my eyes. "I went to a party in Gryffindor Tower last night, where we got drunk, danced on a table, then kissed in front of most of Gryffindor House. I left shortly after, because I was drunk and embarrassed, then he followed me out, only to kiss me again. And then this morning after breakfast, when we were both sober, he kissed me again. Does that answer the question?"

I'd just realized I'd said all of that with my eyes closed. When I opened them, I saw Tonks, eyes wide, her ring-adorned hand covering her mouth in shock. I waited for her to say something, but instead she just squealed with delight.

"Is that your way of telling me you're happy for me?" I asked, my eyebrows raised up high as she grinned broadly. She leaned over and took my hands in hers, her rings cold against my fingers.

"Cassie, all your letters and the way you talked about Fred over the summer could tell me everything I needed to know," she said simply. "For Merlin's sake, just seeing you two at the Quidditch World Cup, dancing around…It didn't take a genius to see how bloody perfect you two are for each other."

That was not the answer I was expecting.

"Wait, wait, wait, you think we're perfect for each other? I get that you're an Auror and you have to be perceptive and all, but where on earth did you draw that conclusion?"

Tonks rolled her eyes, as if it were obvious.

"You say he annoys the living daylights out of you, but it's so obvious that he cares for you. You told me about what happened after your date and during your detention, and that kiss? You can't tell me that isn't damn romantic! He absolutely cares for you, Cassie. I might even say he more than cares for you."

My eyes narrowed. I knew what I wanted to say, but I didn't want to say it out loud, partly because I wasn't sure if it was true. If I wasn't certain, I wasn't going to say it.

"I don't know. Last night when we were dancing…we were spinning around, and I was trying to stay stable while up on the table, and he was looking at me. I don't even know how to describe it, but I've…never been looked at that way before. By anyone, ever. Maybe it was the drink or the music or that- "

"Or that he thinks you're bloody magical- "

"I don't know what it is," I interrupted. "But what I do know is that I love it when he looks at me that way. I don't want to ever be looked at by anyone else when he looks at me that way. Even thought we were drunk, everything made perfect sense. We made perfect sense."

Tonks was silent. She studied me, tilting her head as she took in my words.

"Cassie Malfoy," she said slowly, lifting her bottle and toasting me, "he's your Ted."

"What? No, that's- "

"I think he is, Cass," she said slowly. "You said you weren't sure Daniel was your Ted, and I think I know why. I think you do too. That's all I'll say."

I shook my head. I knew I liked Fred, and I knew I wanted to be with him, but I wasn't sure if I'd go as far as saying he was my Ted. At least, not right now.

"Alright, now that we've talked about boys a little too much, tell me how your parents are," I implored.

She nodded, then launched into telling me about Andy's latest projects at home and Ted's writing. I told her more about the Triwizard Tournament – how Cedric was doing amazing, how Harry Potter had proven himself a fierce contender for the thousand Galleons, and how my best friend was a former flame of the Beauxbatons champion – and before I knew it, it was close to eight o'clock.

"You promise you won't get into too much trouble for being out in town after dark?" Tonks asked.

I nodded. "I swear. Even if I do, it'll probably just cost me another day's detention cleaning the storeroom with Snape."

She smiled, then pulled me in for a hug. As we held each other, I felt her turn her head to whisper in my ear.

"Make me another promise, cousin?" she asked.

I nodded.

"Figure out how you feel about Fred Weasley," she said in the same knowing tone as when she dropped me off at the Hogwarts Express in September, making me swear to sort out my complicated feelings for Daniel. "He seems like a good kid, and, from what Charlie's told me about him, quite a catch. Better catch him before some other girl does, yeah?"

As much as I wanted to make a snide comment or deny my feelings for Fred in front of here, I nodded. If I should take advice from anyone on the matter, it should be Tonks.

She grinned, then took two steps back and disappeared into the air, leaving me alone on the moonlit street.

Over the next week, it felt like there were students milling about constantly, girls giggling in groups and boys hovering around them in the courtyards, looking nervous. I thought it strange to see everyone so on edge, but when I remembered why, I immediately wanted to forget.

During Thursday's Transfiguration class, Professor McGonagall ended a bit early, which was unusual for her. She stared down our glass from the tops of her spectacles, waiting to launch into whatever she was about to share with us.

"Now," she began in her steely voice, "I wanted to inform you all of another traditional event that occurs during each Triwizard Tournament. The Yule Ball is quickly approaching."

I turned to Annabelle. A ball?

"The Yule Ball is an opportunity for the students to socialize and mingle with those from visiting schools," she continued. "It is also a chance for us all to…let our hair down, as it were."

The class snickered. No one had probably ever heard Minerva McGonagall willingly say the phrase 'let our hair down,' and we wanted to remember it.

"Dress robes will be required, and the ball will take place on Christmas Day from eight in the evening until midnight."

The bell rang as McGonagall continued to impress upon our class the 'importance of maintaining decorum and behavior expected of Hogwarts students,' but everyone had stopped listening by that point. As Belle and I stood up from our desks, I bumped her shoulder.

"A ball, eh?" I asked. "I'd like to see Minnie bust a move on the dance floor with Dumbledore."

"That'll be the day, Cass," she shot back, giggling. "I wonder who'll ask us! Or if anyone will ask us."

"Belle, you know you can ask someone, right? If you wait for a seventeen-year-old to work up the nerve to ask you to a dance, the whole thing will pass you by. Besides, I'm sure there are plenty of plucky young witches who'd die to be asked by Annabelle Greengrass."

Belle snorted. "Doubtful. Daphne probably thinks your brother will ask her- "

"My brother will probably end up with the misfortune of taking Pansy Parkinson. The girl's whole personality is that she's nasty to everyone except Draco," I cut in.

Annabelle rolled her eyes, her cheeks turning pink. I bumped her shoulder again.

"Hey," I said, searching her face. "You think you're going to ask Fleur?"

Her face turned pale. "Oh, I don't know, Cass. I doubt it. She's probably got a line of boys stretching through the castle waiting to ask her."

"Which is why you need to get to her before they do!" I said, echoing what Tonks said to me during our visit. "You're a catch, she's a catch. Better catch her before someone else does, yeah?"

She nodded, her confidence slightly renewed by my words.

"I appreciate that, but you're probably not going to have a hard time finding a date. It's only a matter of time before Fred asks you."

I shook my head. "I guess so. Maybe he'll ask Angelina Johnson. I know they're friends. Besides, I don't even know if we're together, and if we are, what we are. If he asked me to the ball, I'd be surprised."

Belle blushed at the mention of Angelina's name. She had a bit of a crush on her during last year, but nothing ever came of it.

"You're absolutely mad, Cass Malfoy," Belle responded. "He's going to ask you, and I'm going to head to Ancient Runes, so you can't argue with me about it anymore!"

She winked at me, then took off down the hall, her curls bouncing behind her. I shook my head. Leave it to Belle.

The week passed. Fred had not asked me to the Yule Ball.

One Wednesday afternoon, almost a week after learning of the ball, I was in the potions classroom after hours, as Snape had tasked me with leading Friday's lesson with the first-years. I was thrilled, as we were going to be brewing my personal favorite: The Sleeping Draught. I was working on perfecting my draught as an example to show the class what their final potion should look like.

As I dropped Flobberworm Mucus into my cauldron and counted Valerian roots to add later, I heard the door of the classroom open slowly.

"Professor Snape isn't here, you'll have to come back later," I called, not looking up from my work.

"Thank Merlin for that," I heard the voice say. I looked up.

Fred.

His tie was askew, as usual, and his hair was wild. It had grown a little longer over the last few months, the ginger strands wavier in some places more than others. His cheeks went pink when our eyes met. My heart fluttered.

"Didn't manage to get detention again, did you?" I asked casually, trying to mask how nervous I was.

He grinned. "No way. I ran into Annabelle, she told me where you might be. I should be doing Charms homework right now, but I figured I'd come see you instead."

My eyes widened.

"Oh," I said. Oh? That's really all you can muster?

We looked at each other for a few seconds more, the only sound being the bubbling of the cauldron in front of me. Suddenly, a smile spread across his entire face.

"Come here, you," he muttered, dropping his bag to the ground.

I don't know what came over me, but I got up from my stool and bounded over to him, stopping short and planting a kiss on his cheek. God, you're acting like a dewy-eyed schoolgirl, Cass, I thought. Get a grip!

"Figured that was a better greeting, Weasley," I replied, echoing what he's said to me the morning after the party.

"No, Malfoy, I'd say that was the least proper greeting I could think of," he said playfully, before tucking a hair behind my ear and pulling my face toward his, his thumb resting on my chin as he kissed me on the mouth.

It felt the same as it had the last three times, addictive and sweet. It felt dangerous, but so did I.

Silence. Then, we both burst out laughing.

"Alright, now I know the proper greeting, Weasley," I said, before turning my on my heel and going back to my cauldron. "What's going on?"

He paused, considering. I sat down and faced him. He looked nervous again, just as he had when he invited me to the Gryffindor party.

"Any contenders for Yule Ball dates, Malfoy?" he asked, wiggling both ginger eyebrows.

I dropped the Valerian root I was holding. Was this it?

"No, actually," I said casually. "I'm not even sure- "

"You want to go with me?"

I blinked. I needed him to repeat himself, because I wasn't sure it was really happening.

"What?"

He laughed, running his hands through his hair the way he always did.

"Do you, Cass Malfoy, wanted to go to the Yule Ball with me? I know you really wanted to go with George- "

"Fred," I groaned. The joke I made on our first date about going on a date with George was now an inside joke between us.

"Right, you wanted to go with George, but he's going with Annabeth Taylor from Ravenclaw," he continued, clearly on a roll. "Lee's asked Katie Bell, and Angelina…well, I'm surprised Greengrass didn't tell you she asked Ang."

"She did WHAT?" I shouted a bit too loudly. Inside, I was beaming with pride for Belle.

"Yeah, Ang was thrilled when she asked, I think it only happened today. Anyway, do you want to go to the ball with me or not?"

I smiled. I couldn't believe my luck.

"Yeah, alright. You're on, Weasley. I'll go with you."

He smiled, clearly relieved I'd finally stopped beating around the bush and said yes.

"Brilliant," he said, crossing the room to lean over my shoulder. "Should we coordinate colors of our dress robes? I think I'd like to wear a nice hot pink, but if you're partial to that color- "

"FRED!" I yelled again, elbowing him in the ribs as I waved my wand over the Sleeping Draught.

"Alright, alright, I'll leave you be. I really just wanted to ask you to the ball. Though, do try to pick out dress robes that aren't too hideous? Ron's are bloody awful, and I'd like everyone from Hogwarts, Durmstrang, and Beauxbatons combined to see that I've got the hottest date of them all."

"Just for that comment alone, I'm going to wear robes the same color of the puke you cleaned off me. How does that sound?" I asked, trying to not bust out laughing as I spoke.

"God, I'm regretting asking you already, Malfoy!" he said in a mock-angry tone, before kissing me on the cheek, grabbing his bag, and heading for the door.

"Freddie?" I called, as he reached for the door. I blushed when he turned around.

God, those eyes. That smile. That whole damn boy.

"I'm really happy you asked me, you know that?" I said quietly.

He grinned, his cheeks still pink.

"Yeah, I know," he said, just as quietly as I did, before slipping out and shutting the door behind him.

As soon as he did, my head landed in my hands. I didn't even have dress robes that I liked, let alone fit in. I had my work cut out for me, clearly.

This was either going to be a disaster or the time of my life. I was praying for the latter.


	18. Dance, baby!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Yule Ball finally arrives. Dancing, drinking, and divulging of one's true feelings ensue.

"BELLE!" I yelled down the hall. No answer.

"BELLE!"

No answer again.

"ANNABELLE DELPHINE GREENGRASS!" I bellowed again. Hopefully hearing her full name being called by her anxious best friend would send her running in from her room.

Belle came rushing in, her dress half-zipped and her curls bouncing every which way.

"What are you shouting- oh my god, you look amazing!"

I studied my dress in the mirror. I had to admit, she was right. Tonight was finally the night: it was the Yule Ball. I'd picked out an emerald green gown with thin straps and an abstract pattern for the occasion. The only problem was the way I secured it; the bow I'd tied around my hips flopped around stupidly, and I couldn't get it to stay in place.

"Look who's talking," I said, gesturing to her with a nod. Annabelle was practically glowing in a long-sleeved maroon gown, made from the finest velvet I'd ever seen.

"You don't think it's too much? I'm nervous about the back," she replied, eyeing herself warily in the mirror beside me. The front of the dress had a plunging neckline and the back was the same; a deep V down the middle of her back, revealing her shoulder-blades. She was worried about what was between her shoulder-blades: a snake tattoo that she'd gotten over the summer in France.

I looked her up and down. "You look fine. More than fine, you're stunning, Belle. Angelina's going to be totally floored when she sees you."

She blushed. "God, I hope so. Now, let's get this stupid little tie in place so you quit fidgeting with it."

I let her affix the bow to my waist with a Sticking Charm. Once that was done, I finished arranging my hair. I decided to stick with a more polished version of my usual half-up, half-down style, but with two buns on either side of my head, so that the blonde strands were more visibly woven in between the black. I grabbed my jewelry – a gold bracelet inlaid with green stones (a Christmas gift from Andy and Ted) and a matching ring– and hastily slid them onto my wrist and finger.

Finally, I fastened a long, gold necklace with a lion charm around my neck. I usually wore a gold snake on the chain, but I bought the lion in secret as a little tribute to Fred's house. Annabelle noticed it immediately.

"A lion?" she asked quietly, cocking her dark brow at me.

I smiled. "Just a little something I wanted to incorporate. Don't read too far into it."

Once we were done fussing over our jewels and hair (it took both of us to pile all of Annabelle's hair atop her head into an elegant bun), we rushed to the common room where Jermaine was waiting.

"I swear to Merlin, I almost didn't recognize you two," he said with a grin, playing it safe in black and white dress robes resembling a Muggle tuxedo. "Everyone's going to be so jealous when they see both of my hot dates."

I smacked him in the chest with my hand.

"You better not let your actual date hear that, Pucey," I shot back, winking at him. He lifted both his arms for Belle and I to link ours through, and we ventured up the stairs, where our dates would be waiting.

In my head, I was nervous as hell.

What if I look awful? What if his robes are a really horrid color? What if he's embarrassed to be with me in front of his friends? God, maybe I should've picked a different color dress instead of going with house colors…

Typical me, I was overthinking before the night even began, but I was determined to not let my racing thoughts get in the way of the night. Don't ruin this, Cass, I thought. Everything's going to be fine.

When we reached the Entrance Hall, Jermaine said goodbye and went in search of his date, a sixth-year from Ravenclaw whose name I'd forgotten. Meanwhile, Belle and I scanned the area for our dates.

On one side of the hall, I saw Harry Potter with Parvati Patil. Parvati looked beautiful in robes of bright pink, but Harry looked downright miserable. Ron Weasley looked worse, his robes frilly and his expression sullen. On the other side, I saw Cedric and Cho in their dress robes (Cedric in a tuxedo, Cho in a silver gown and her hair adorned with a jeweled pin) chatting with Daniel and Annamaria. My eyes met Daniel's for a second, but we seemed to look right through one another.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my brother, wearing high-collared robes of black velvet. He looks like a priest, I thought, biting my lip to stifle a giggle. As expected, Pansy Parkinson was clinging to his arm, her lacy pink robes clashing with Draco's austere-looking getup.

Suddenly, Annabelle brought me out of my head and back to earth.

"Cass! Here they come!"

I turned to Belle and saw who was coming.

George, Annabeth, Lee, Katie, Angelina, and Fred were striding toward us, the coolest group of students Hogwarts had ever seen. Angelina wore a black satin suit with what appeared to be a cape billowing out from behind her, a lion-shaped pin on her lapel. Katie wore a white gown embroidered with delicate flowers of red, pink, and green, and Annabeth wore a deep blue gown made from the same fine velvet as Belle's. George and Lee wore ties that perfectly coordinated with their dates.

It was a wonder I registered all that, because as soon as I saw Fred, he was the only person in the world to me.

He was looking at me differently tonight. I'd thought Fleur Delacour had walked by at first, but quickly realized that the look of surprise and adoration on his face was because of me.

I studied his dress robes carefully: they were mostly black, but his vest was the same deep green as my dress, and on his lapel was a silver pin shaped like a snake, paying tribute to me as my necklace did him. The low lights warmed up his pale complexion, making the freckles all across his face even more noticeable.

We stood two feet away from each other. Neither of us said a word, but I could tell we were both, for the most part, breathless.

"I like the snake, Freddie," I said, my eyes on the pin.

The adoring expression on his face remained in place. "I like the lion, Cassie. You know, I would say you look beautiful tonight, but I don't even think that would do you justice. Beautiful alone would probably be more like an insult."

I blushed. No one, not even Daniel, had ever said something like that to me before.

"The pin. How did you-"

"Malfoy, you seriously think Greengrass didn't tell me everything I needed to know?" he asked, gesturing to the lion charm that lay on my chest. I didn't even think Annabelle knew I'd bought the lion pendant until tonight, but after years of knowing her, I should've remembered just how perceptive my best friend was.

"Anyway, while you might not think that 'beautiful' would be a high enough compliment, I wouldn't be totally unhappy to hear you say it," I teased.

At that moment, he pulled me close to him, so that his lips were right next to my ear, making my hair stand on end and my cheeks feel hot.

"You look beautiful, Malfoy," he whispered sweetly. "Always do."

I blushed as he quickly kissed my cheek, which was now on fire. Next to us, the group hooted and hollered.

"Finally!" Lee called, clapping for us exaggeratedly.

"You two out in the open now?" Angelina teased, leaning casually against Annabelle.

Fred and I rolled our eyes, an alternative to answering their prying questions. Suddenly, Professor McGonagall breezed past us in robes of forest green.

"Miss Malfoy, Mister Weasley…all of you, into the Great Hall. The champions will be opening the dance shortly. Chop chop!" she said quickly before moving on to wrangle the four champions. Fred offered his arm, which I gladly took, and we ventured into the Great Hall.

"Whoever decorated this place deserves that thousand Galleons prize money instead, and I stand by that," Annabelle exclaimed as we wandered through the Great Hall.

The entire room was decorated with silver frost, holly berries, mistletoe and ivy, with candlelight illuminating the entire hall. Instead of the long tables where we ate meals, there were hundreds of small, circular tables laden with candles for us to sit and eat.

Students from all three schools converged in the Great Hall and formed two sides of an aisle. Down that aisle walked the four Triwizard champions. Cedric and Cho led the line, smiling sheepishly at everyone around them. I whistled for Cedric, which made him laugh out loud. Then Fleur Delacour in silver dress robes, clutching Roger Davies's arm, then Harry and Parvati (Harry looking uncomfortable and Parvati basking in the spotlight of being on the arm of a champion) and finally, Viktor Krum and his date. When I recognized her, my jaw dropped.

"Bloody hell," I breathed, elbowing Fred in the ribs. "Is that-"

"Hermione!" Fred bellowed in disbelief, motioning for George and Lee to look. "With Krum! Ron told me she wasn't going! Attagirl, Granger!"

Hermione turned slightly and smiled at hearing her name. She looked beautiful in robes of periwinkle and her hair in a sleek updo. If anyone looked like a princess tonight, it was her.

There was a brief pause as each couple took their place on the dance floor. After a beat, a large string orchestra began to play, officially kicking off the dance. We watched as, one by one, faculty members began to pair off and join the champions. Madame Maxime and Hagrid, Karkaroff and a witch who I didn't recognize, and finally, Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore.

"Looks like you got your wish, Cassie," Annabelle whispered as McGonagall and Dumbledore waltzed gracefully in the center of the floor. "Minnie's having the time of her life."

I giggled. Professor McGonagall would probably hex us to hell and back if she heard that students called her Minnie behind her back, which they did frequently, but it didn't stop us.

As I watched students and staff waltzing around one another, I noticed no one from our group had ventured out to the dance floor. In that moment, I decided it was time to break from the group.

"Wanna dance with me, Weasley?" I asked Fred, turning to face him.

He raised his eyebrows. "Why the bloody hell not, Malfoy?"

With that, I took his hand in mine and led him to the dance floor, where Cedric and Cho danced past us.

"You look brilliant, Cass!" Cedric whispered to me.

"So do you, Ced!" I said, flashing him a smile.

Fred pulled my arm gently back toward him. My right hand in his left, my left hand on his shoulder, his other hand holding my waist, we began to waltz. I held my head high as Fred and I weaved through each couple, seemingly picking up speed as we did so.

One, two, three, one, two, three, one, two, three, I thought to myself, so as not to trip over my own feet or Fred's. When Fred lifted me up for a beat, I caught the eyes of our group, who were beginning to follow our lead to the dance floor. As he twirled me around gracefully, I caught a glimpse of McGonagall and Dumbledore, smiling at us approvingly. In the crowd, I saw both my brother and Daniel scowling at me from across the room.

Let them, I thought to myself. They wish they were as happy as you right now.

Another thing I learned about Fred Weasley that night: he's as good at the waltz as he is at the Irish jig as he is at the drunken, tabletop, common room dance.

After the first dance, we sat down for dinner – me, Fred, Belle, Angelina, Lee, Katie, George, and Annabeth – and chatted throughout the meal, wondering what songs the Weird Sister would play and still marveling at the extravagant decorations. When Fred turned away from me to talk to George, I couldn't stop myself from staring at him.

I'd always known he was handsome, but tonight he looked especially so, his flame-colored hair darker in the candlelight, the reflection of the flames dancing in his eyes, his smile brighter than usual. It shocked me that this person was my date, my dance partner, my possible new boyfriend. Things like this happened to...well, anyone other than me, and I couldn't believe my luck.

"Oi! Earth to Malfoy!" Fred said, reaching over to touch my wrist. I looked up at him and smiled.

God, those eyes.

Suddenly, I heard a rousing rock song fill the Great Hall, an indication that the Weird Sisters had officially arrived. Fred jerked his head over to the dance floor, and I grabbed his hand, running for where everyone else was starting to dance. When he whipped around, flailing his arms in every direction and spinning me around in circles, it was like we'd traveled back in time to the party, the last time we danced this wildly.

It was now that I realized that being with Fred always gave me those butterflies that come with firsts – everything with him felt shiny and new and exciting, and I never wanted it to end. What's more was that it didn't scare me anymore. I liked it. I liked feeling those little jitters whenever he said my name, the way his cheeks felt warm when I kissed them, and the way we simply existed together, bantering back and forth like we'd known each other all our lives.

"You sure you haven't had a drink tonight, Malfoy?" he asked, yelling over the booming music. "I didn't think you had it in you to do this sober!"

"Then you don't know me at all, Weasley!" I yelled back, twisting my hips around in circles. Fred shimmied around me so exuberantly that people had to step away from us. All around, I could see the faces of our classmates as we danced: jealous, embarrassed, impressed. To my right, I saw Annabelle and Angelina had joined us, Annabelle tangled up in Angelina's cape as they twirled around, their hands clasped together and foreheads touching. To my left, Lee was spinning Katie around in circles, counting how many times she turned out loud.

I don't know how long we kept dancing like that – it could've been three songs or thirteen songs. As we clapped and hollered for the Weird Sisters, Fred leaned over to whisper in my ear as another song came to its conclusion.

"You want to get out of here?" he whispered. I turned to look up at him.

"The dance doesn't end for another hour," I replied. "Why, where did you have in mind?"

He grinned, then adjusted his tie, looking around the see where the staff were.

"Grab your radio and meet me in the Astronomy Tower in ten minutes."

Stunned, I nodded. We joined hands, weaving through the crowd to the doors of the Great Hall. All of a sudden, I felt a warm hand on my forearm.

"Where the hell are you going?" Annabelle asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

I smiled sheepishly. "Astronomy Tower?"

She rolled her eyes. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do, Cassie Malfoy, you hear?"

"Belle, I'm going up there with a guy. That's already something you wouldn't do."

"Oh, my God!" she gasped, laughing as she playfully hit my shoulder. "Fine, just maybe try to find your way back down before the night is out?"

I nodded, gave her a big hug, then headed for my dorm and whatever awaited me in the Astronomy Tower.

The thin, December air sent a chill down my spine. Well, it could've also been the nerves, but I wasn't really sure anymore.

As I ascended the steps of the Astronomy Tower, I found Fred leaning over the railing in the tower, gazing at the sky.

"See anything you like?" I called. He turned around. His tie was loose around his neck and his hair was even wavier than usual. He smiled a lopsided, tired smile.

"I didn't, but now I do," he replied. "Pity I never paid attention in Astronomy, because I really don't know what the hell I'm looking at up there."

I wandered over to him, setting down my radio and kicking off my shoes. I leaned on the railing next to him and peered into the night sky, the stars and moon fully visibly on this clear night.

"Well, you're in luck, because I always did," I said. "And almost everyone in the family is named after a star or constellation, so I know a lot of the names."

He looked at me, waiting. I gazed up at the sky, searching for where to begin.

"You see that cluster of stars directly above us?" I asked, pointing to a box-shaped cluster with a triangle at the back. "That's Cepheus. He was a king in ancient Greece. And that one below him? That's the Dragon. He weaves through Ursa Minor and stops just beneath Polaris."

"The North Star," he echoed. "What's the dragon's name? It isn't just called the Dragon, is it?"

I grimaced. "No. Its proper name is Draco."

Fred made a face. "Suddenly I like the Dragon much better."

I looked back at the sky, leaning further over the railing. "Alright, you see that little zigzag next to Cepheus?"

He nodded.

"That's Cassiopeia. The Vain Queen. She was married to Cepheus and bragged incessantly about her great beauty. It got her in trouble, in the end. That's why I never brag about my looks, you know. Don't want to end up like my namesake."

Fred stifled a laugh. "Somehow I don't see that happening, Malfoy."

"HEY!"

"Alright, alright!" he said, putting up his hands defensively. "So, you know the stars, you know how to brew potions. Is there anything you can't do?

I considered.

"Plenty of things, Weasley."

"Like what? Name one thing you can't do, and I'll be impressed."

I considered again.

"I…don't think I can wait another minute without dancing again," I said playfully, before turning around to turn on the radio. There you go again, I thought. Running from a meaningful conversation. From your true feelings.

Shut up, I thought, pushing those thoughts out of my head. Leave me be for just one night.

I turned on the radio, the static crackling loudly, then disappearing. Suddenly, a song I knew all too well started playing. I gasped happily, then started swaying to Mott the Hoople's "All the Young Dudes."

"You know this one, Freddie?" I asked as Fred took my hand.

"I don't know it," he replied, tilting his head back and breathing in the night air. We joined hands again and started swaying to the music, just as we had in the potions classroom weeks ago.

"Well, Billy rapped all night about his suicide

How he'd kick it in the head when he was twenty-five

Speed jive, don't want to stay alive

When you're twenty-five"

"Don't want to stay alive when you're seventeen, more like," I muttered. Fred chuckled.

"You're sure you don't have a death wish, Cassie?"

"If I did, I don't know that I'd tell you," I murmured jokingly, pressing my head against his chest softly.

"And Wendy's stealing clothes from Marks and Sparks

And Freddy's got spots from ripping the stars off his face"

"More like 'Cassie's stealing clothes from wherever they said,' Fred muttered. It was my turn to chuckle.

"I like that better, especially because they sing about a Freddy next," I said. "Next time we hear this, we'll sing it like that. It'll be like they're singing about us."

Fred nodded, then went to rest his chin on the top of my head. We were silent again, the only sound being the wind rustling through the trees of the Forbidden Forest. The entire world felt at peace; the stars aligned, the wind blowing softly, Fred and I dancing together. Everything was as it should be. Like my life had fallen into place the moment he took my hand.

"Hey," I heard Fred say, running his hand through my hair. "What're you thinking about?"

I didn't meet his gaze. "Nothing. Just thinking about this. Us. How we ended up here."

He laughed, spinning me around, then placing his hand back in mine as Mott the Hoople continued to sing to us through the static.

"I've been thinking exactly the same thing," he said, leaning in close to my ear. "And I think I might know the answer to that question."

"Oh?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Enlighten me, Weasley."

Now it was his turn to consider. He blushed, and my heart raced.

"You spat firewhiskey on my jumper at the World Cup Final-"

"FRED!"

"And I realized that when I heard you laugh after you did that…that I was in love with you."

Silence. I let go of his hand and stepped away from him. I could feel the terror becoming visible in my facial expressions. But Fred closed the space between us, as he was wont to do, and took my hands in his, resuming our dance.

"Bit mad, I know," he continued, twirling me again, even though my head was already spinning. "But that was when I realized. I love you, Cass, and I know we don't know where we're going and that we haven't even been doing this terribly long, but I feel like...I just know that if I've got you – singing at the top of your lungs, brewing potions better than anyone I've ever seen – then I think I've got everything I damn well need."

My ears were ringing. This couldn't be happening. This was a prank. It had to be. It all seemed impossible. Fred Weasley – chaotic, charismatic Fred Weasley – couldn't possibly love me. For some stupid, perverse, terrifying, unknown reason, he did, and I couldn't think of a damn thing to say back, except the honest truth.

"I love you too, Freddie," I breathed, so quiet that I wasn't even sure he could hear me.

I couldn't believe I said it. My voice didn't even sound like mine when I did. Probably because I'd never felt this way before for anyone. It was uncharted territory, and there really was no going back now.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "I've waited since August to tell you, you know that?"

I giggled. "Be that as it may, Weasley, you've told me you loved me, but you haven't said whether you're my boyfriend or not."

"That's what you're taking away from this conversation? Whether I've said I'm your boyfriend? That's rubbish, Malfoy, complete rubbish!"

"It's rubbish to you, but it matters to girls!" I retorted.

"Alright! I, Fred Weasley, am hereby…your boyfriend," he replied, taking an exaggerated bow. "And I love you, Cassiopeia Malfoy."

I smiled again, so wide it felt as though my face would split. I took his hands and resumed our dance as the outro of "All the Young Dudes" filled the Astronomy Tower, mingled with our laughter and the sound of the kisses Fred was planting all over my cheeks, my neck, my shoulders.

You love him. You love him. You love him.


	19. Up from below

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cass and Fred bond over their love of potions and each other. Cass finds a few tips, tricks, and spells in an extremely battered copy of "Advanced Potion Making," and the second task of the tournament arrives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter includes a flashback to the day after the Yule Ball.

"Crush it."

Fred looked up from his cauldron, clearly bewildered.

"What?"

"Crush the sopophorous bean, you git," I explained, rolling my eyes and wandering over to where he stood over his cauldron. Snape's sixth-year class was brewing the Draught of Living Death, and Fred's turned out rather disastrous ('looked quite a bit like tar' were his exact words). I offered to help him perfect his brew for two reasons: to keep Snape's ridicule at bay, and to bond a little more over our shared passion for potionmaking. Fred received an Outstanding on his Potions O.W.L and was nearly as good at brewing as I was.

"Here, let me show you," I said, gently taking the silver dagger from his hand and laying the blade flat across the hard, brown sopophorous bean. I pressed down on it, releasing the thin, brown juice from inside. "Weasley, are you sure you're a N.E.W.T student in Potions?"

He rolled his eyes. "How'd you know to do that?"

I shrugged. "Last year, I misplaced my copy of Advanced Potion Making. Draco stole it, knowing it would humiliate me in front of Snape, not being prepared for class and all. I grabbed a copy from the cupboard which had all these notes in the margins, one of which was to crush the sopophorous bean in the Draught of Living Death. The look on Snape's face when mine turned out perfect…"

My voice trailed off. Fred looked at me, smiling a cheeky smile.

"What are you looking at, Weasley?" I said, feigning annoyance.

That cheeky smile only grew larger.

"Just admiring how intelligent my girlfriend is," he replied, knitting his brows together, like two ginger caterpillars dancing. "I'd be completely lost without her."

"Oh, I doubt that," I said, turning to go back to reading the first-year class's essays on the twelve uses of dragon's blood. Every so often, I'd look up and catch a glimpse of Fred waving his wand or adding his ingredients to his cauldron with a very overexaggerated flourish, just to make me laugh. This had become our thing: I'd stay late on Wednesday evenings reviewing homework for the first-years and Fred would come visit me, sometimes to work on his own draughts or just to keep me company when we both knew Snape wasn't around.

After reading a dozen essays and having two dozen more to read, I slipped into a daydream that turned into a full-blown flashback to the morning after the ball, when the reality of me and Fred truly set in.

"Blimey, I didn't think you got me a Christmas present, Malfoy," I heard Fred mumble sleepily. Clearly, I wasn't quick enough. I turned my head over my shoulder.

"Do you mind, Weasley?!" I hissed, laughing as I quickly changed out of my dress from the night before and into trousers and a jumper. After we'd left the Astronomy Tower, we blended in with the hoards of students leaving the dance, allowing me to sneak Fred into the Slytherin dormitories for the night. After sprinting into my room without getting caught, we fell peacefully asleep, my head resting in the crook of his neck and his arm draped lazily around my waist.

"Come back to bed," he grumbled, reaching his left arm out toward me. Now fully dressed, I turned around and glared at him. His eyes widened, pleading for me to join him on the tiny mattress. I couldn't resist. I took two steps, then tumbled back into bed, pulling my green blanket up to my chin and leaning on my elbow to face Fred.

"Your hair looks dreadful," I said, pushing a stray red strand behind his ear. He jerked his head to the side and kissed the palm of my hand quickly.

"And yours looks perfect," he shot back. "Are you sure you only just woke up?"

I rolled my eyes, pushing off of my elbow and resting my head on the pillow again. I stared at him, thinking of something to say.

"Was last night…that wasn't a dream, was it?" I asked stupidly.

He grinned. "Which part? The part where our dance skills were the envy of Hogwarts, Durmstrang, and Beauxbatons combined? Or the part where I said I loved you?"

I smirked, pretending to consider.

"Er, both?"

He laughed. "None of it was a dream. We really are that good at dancing, and I really do love you."

I breathed a sigh of relief and leaned in to peck him on the lips. When I tried to pull away, he wrapped his hand around my neck and pulled me in for a deeper kiss, his fingers getting tangled in my already knotted hair.

"You do realize I have to get out of here?" he asked, wiggling his brows. "And we probably don't have the convenience of a crowd again?"

I stared at him. I'd forgotten that it was now morning, and the common room and Great Hall would be bustling with students, and Fred was still in his dress robes from the night before. We needed a plan, and a quick one at that.

After a few minutes, we decided to take another risk, as I stuffed a stocking cap over Fred' head.

"If my brother sees you, he'll have a field day," I muttered, pushing his hair out of his eyes.

"If your brother sees me, I'll just stick his tongue to the roof of his mouth," he replied. "I've heard that's what his big sister does."

I shook my head, smiling. "Yes, she does. And it's always well worth it."

He turned to look in the mirror, admiring the misshapen hat that was stuffed over his head.

"Remind me why you couldn't just cast a Color-Changing charm?" he asked, eyeing me sideways.

I cocked my head, considering. Then, in a moment of pure, youthful impulsivity, I reached up and took the hat off his head, exposing his signature Weasley red hair.

"Because I don't want to," I said plainly. "People may as well know that we're together, no use in hiding it anymore. Especially if Jermaine and Belle were here – I'm sure half the school knows by now."

Fred turned around and stared at me, impressed at my brazenness.

"I always thought you'd want to play it safe when the time came to be out and about together, Malfoy," he said.

"Then you don't know me at all, Weasley," I said, with a grin, lacing my fingers through his and heading out of my dorm, where the rest of the world waited for us.

When we emerged from the dungeons, people were already weaving in and out of the Great Hall, which was now put back to normal. Fred and I exchanged looks.

"Alright, no looks so far," I whispered, looking around. Fred shrugged. Then, a voice called out across the hall, dashing all hope we had of any chance of subtlety.

"As if you couldn't sink any lower! A Weasley? And I thought you were bad enough with that Mudblood Light," my brother asked loudly as he sauntered by with Crabbe and Goyle.

I rolled my eyes. Fred lunged at Draco, but I pulled him back.

"Watch and learn," I whispered, waving my wand. "Flipendo."

All of a sudden, Draco fell flat on his face in in the entryway, sliding into the Great Hall and landing at Professor McGonagall's feet.

"My goodness, Mr Malfoy," she muttered, stepping over him and striding off, shaking her head. Fred and I giggled, stepping over him in the entrance hall.

"Plenty more where that came from, little brother," I sneered, leaning over Draco, who was laying on the ground still, milking his embarrassment. "Let that serve as your reminder to stay the hell away from my boyfriend and I."

"Professor Snape!" he called, trying to get Snape's attention in a bid to get me in trouble. "Professor Snape, she attacked me!"

Snape stopped in his tracks, looking at my brother, then at me, then back at my brother.

"While I don't doubt you probably deserved it, Mr Malfoy, I'll have to take ten points from your sister," he sneered, arching his eyebrow. "Miss Malfoy, I suggest you join your classmates for breakfast before you humiliate your brother further. Though I daresay he's doing a fine job of that on his own."

With that, he took off down the hall, his robes billowing out behind him. I watched as he walked off, a satisfied smile on my face. Meanwhile, Draco still lay on the ground, wincing.

"Well, I'll go have breakfast with Belle and Jermaine," I said.

"Yeah, I'm gonna go catch up with George," Fred said just as quickly. He smiled at me, then pulled me in for a quick kiss on my temple.

"Love you," he whispered.

"Yeah, yeah, I love you too," I said. "We're not going to become one of those insufferable couples who constantly says 'I love you' and can't be apart for more than ten minutes, are we?"

Fred shook his head. "Not if you can help it, I'd reckon."

I nodded, satisfied with that answer, before turning around to find Annabelle and Jermaine for breakfast. When I slid across the bench to grab several strips of bacon, the rest of the Slytherin table was watching as Fred Weasley strolled by, still in his dress robes from the night before. As he sat down, I saw nearly every pair of eyes in Slytherin House fall on me.

I stared blankly at everyone.

"What?!" I asked incredulously. As soon as I spoke, everyone looked back down at their breakfast plates. I noticed Pansy Parkinson's gaggle of fourth-year girls snickering at me while Pansy herself attempted to catch my brother's eye.

Next to me, Belle and Jermaine yammered on about their evenings at the ball, and while I tried my best to listen intently, my mind traveled back to Fred.

I still couldn't believe it. Fred Weasley loved me, the blood traitor daughter of the family that despised his family, that taunted them for being poor and so many other horrible things. It seemed impossible that he would ever love me, but love me he did, and I was grateful.

He loves you, he loves you, he loves you.

"Cass? Cass? Oi, earth to Malfoy!" Fred called, shaking my shoulder lightly.

My head shot up from the desk, my hair falling every which way in my eyes. I looked around wildly, but all I saw was Fred, smiling down at me.

"Wha-what time is it?" I yawned, still trying to wake up.

"Nine-thirty," he said. "I was just about to head up to the common room. Figured I didn't want to leave you sleeping in a classroom – I'd expect that kind of thing from Hermione Granger, but not from you."

I laughed, my laughter low and slow from how sleepy I was.

"I'll probably stay down here for a few minutes more," I said through a yawn. "You go. I'll see you at breakfast."

He smiled and swooped down to kiss the side of my nose. That was, like many other things in our relationship, an inside joke: one night when I'd snuck him into my dorm again, he missed my cheek in the dark and his lips collided with the side of my nose, squishing the bridge and my nostril together. Since then, he'd always kiss me there as a funny sort of farewell.

"Remember to at least get some sleep tonight, yeah?" he said. I reached up to cup his cheek in my hand, my silent way of saying thank you, I know, you're very sweet.

"Love you!" I called, waving to him without turning around as he slipped out the door.

When I knew for sure he was gone, I got up from my seat and wandered over to the cupboard where Snape kept all his extra copies of our textbooks. One by one, I opened each cupboard until I found a few dozen copies of Libatius Borage's "Advanced Potion Making." I scanned the shelves until I found the ugliest, most battered book I could find, the cover ripped and the binding fraying. I snatched it and took it back to my seat.

Flipping through the stained pages, I remembered how this book had a lot of interesting tips about potionmaking, alterations to recipes, and a few spells that I could only assume were created by the book's previous owner. Last year, I'd taken to using a few of them - Langlock, the spell to stick tongues to the roofs of mouths (my personal favorite when Draco was being extra awful), Muffliato (which I'd used in plenty of side corridors and empty classrooms with Daniel), and Levicorpus, which I'd never used, but sounded like it might be entertaining on a good day.

After about ten minutes of rereading the tips, notes, and more, I came across another spell at the back of the book, one that I wasn't sure I'd heard of before. Judging from the inky black lettering, it must've been another one of the previous owner's creations and I must've missed it all last year.

For enemies.

I looked up at the clock on the wall. Nine fifty-six. Curfew in four minutes meant I needed to head to the dorms before Filch or anyone else caught me wandering out of bed. I gathered my things, closed "Advanced Potion Making," and put it back in the cupboard. I wasn't sure what a spell specifically 'for enemies' did, and I wasn't sure I wanted to know. With that, I blew out the candles, stuffed the book in the back of the cupboard, and hurried out, putting it and the spell out of my mind for the rest of the night.

"So," I said to Cedric, waving my wand as I practiced the wand movement for Ascendio, "did you ever figure out what was in the egg? I completely forgot to ask you."

His eyes lit up.

"I think I did!" he said, his wand movements mirroring mine as we practiced at the back of Professor Flitwick's class. "There was this song, a riddle more like. Something about how we'd have an hour to find something, something we 'sorely miss,' I think it was. Only trouble is, I think the lake's got something to do with it."

I cocked an eyebrow, taken aback.

"You're telling me they're going to have you swim in the Black Lake for an hour to find something they took from you?" I asked. "What, like an object? A person? Your dignity?"

He laughed. "I'm not sure yet. All I know is that the next task is going to be cold and wet. Sounds brilliant, right?"

I rolled my eyes. Then, an idea came to me.

"D'you think Harry Potter's figured his egg out yet?" I asked.

Cedric shrugged. "Dunno. He's a smart kid. I'm sure he got it puzzled out a long time ago, probably faster than I did."

"I know he told you about the dragons," I continued, still waving my wand. "Thought it might be nice to return the favor. When I went to that Gryffindor party after the first task, Fred mentioned that the egg sounded like someone getting tortured. Where did you have to go to open it?"

"Oh, I opened mine in the bath, in the prefect's bathroom."

My eyes widened.

"Cedric, he's a fourth-year! He's not going to know how to get in there –"

"I'm sure he's got access to a bathroom in Gryffindor Tower, Cassie!"

"Not one where he can completely submerge a giant golden egg," I countered. "I just think it might be nice to maybe help him out, since he did the same for you."

Cedric smiled. "I'll try to talk to him before the twenty-fourth. But I still think he's figured the thing out!"

When we parted ways after Charms, I decided to wander out to the courtyard to read for a bit. Right as I found a spot along the stone walls to sit with my book, I felt someone bump into me.

"Can I help- oh, it's you," I said.

"Blimey, Malfoy, we've been exclusive two months and you're already saying 'oh, it's you'? Should I be concerned?"

I shook my head. "No, just wasn't expecting to see you out here. You skiving off class today or what?"

"Nah, had a free period. Was on my way to Charms and then I saw this lovely creature across the yard-"

"Fred."

"And I thought 'well, maybe I'll go chat her up.' And here I am."

I rolled my eyes. "So the short answer is 'I'm not skiving off class, but I'm already late for Charms'?"

Fred's eyes widened.

"Yeah, Malfoy, that's precisely what I'd say," he said, leaning all the way around to kiss the side of my nose. I'll never get tired of that, I thought.

"I'll see you later," I called as he walked away.

"I'll miss you!" he yelled across the yard, so loud that people turned to stare. I just burst out laughing, waving him off as he rounded the corner and sprinted to Charms. I shook my head. Even the tiniest things – like meetings between classes and kisses on the nose – made me love him all the more.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Harry Potter shuffling past, clearly not wanting to be seen or spoken to. I jumped down from my perch and grabbed my bag, running up behind him.

"Harry! Wait up!"

He turned around, clearly surprised to see me.

"Er, hi. Cass, right?" he asked quietly.

I nodded.

"Listen, um, have you seen Cedric at all today?" I asked. If Cedric wouldn't help the kid out, I was going to.

Harry shook his head.

I continued. "Keep your eye out for him, will you? He's…have you figured out your egg yet? For the second task?"

He shook his head again, looking around for anyone else to talk to.

"Ced's figured his out," I said. "Told me he might have a clue or two to help you, in case you needed it."

"And why would I need help from Cedric?"

I stared at him, taken aback. I could understand his hostility toward me, but Cedric was always kind to Harry, especially when the rest of the school wasn't.

"I know you told him about the dragons," I said, lowering my voice. "He's still really, really grateful for that. If he comes around and offers you some help, just take it, alright? He wants to return the favor."

With a thin smile, I turned on my heel to go. When I glanced over my shoulder before rounding the corner, I could've sworn I saw Harry Potter breathe a massive sigh of relief.

While today may have been the day of the second task, I was still stuck in the potions classroom after six first-years knocked over a cauldron, spilling most of their Forgetfulness Potion on the floor. Luckily for me, all I had left to do was sweep up spilled Valerian roots, inventory dragon's blood vials, and then I was free to meet Fred and head down to the lake.

"Where the bloody hell is that broom?" I muttered, wandering the perimeter of the room looking for it. After realizing it had disappeared from the classroom, I wandered out of the room in a huff and headed for the nearest broom cupboard, shutting the door behind me.

When I returned to the classroom, broom in hand, I noticed that the door was ajar. It wasn't like that when I left. No matter, I thought. Snape had probably returned to retrieve something, or maybe Fred had come to find me instead of me finding him for the task.

As I resumed sweeping, I kept hearing small, insignificant noises all around me. The rustling of paper, maybe, or the annoyed grunting of someone in the hall. Again, I shrugged it off.

Then, I heard a CRASH! coming from the storeroom.

My head shot up to face the door. Now alarmed, I wandered over to the door of the storeroom, wand drawn. I put my hand on the knob and turned it slowly, before flinging it open as fast as I could.

"WHAT THE DEVIL- oh, Miss Malfoy," Professor Moody mumbled, clearly caught off-guard at seeing his student raising their wand at him.

"Sorry, Professor," I said, putting my wand away hurriedly. "I didn't know who was in here."

"Quite alright," he said gruffly. "I appreciate you having that wand of yours at the ready – constant vigilance, Miss Malfoy, constant vigilance, as you well know."

I nodded slowly, trying to hide my confusion. What the hell was Mad-Eye Moody doing down in the potions storeroom, and why did he look like he'd seen a ghost when I opened the door? Surely if Snape sent him down here, he'd have known I would be here too?

"Can I help you find something, Professor?" I asked, trying to mask the confusion on my face.

Moody looked equally confused, and I think he knew that I knew that, because he tried to wipe the look off his face.

"No, er, Professor Dumbledore actually sent me down here to find you," he continued. I think he could tell I wasn't buying it. For a famed dark wizard catcher, he was a god awful liar.

"And what did the headmaster want, may I ask?"

"Didn't tell me anything, Malfoy. Just to find you and bring you to him."

"Am I in trouble?"

"For Christ sakes, Malfoy, I couldn't tell you! Now, the headmaster's expecting you, so you best get moving. Think he said the password's 'Sugar Quill' today. Now, get cracking!"

I backed away from him. Not wanting to ask any more questions, I turned on my heel and jogged out of the potions classroom, straight for Dumbledore's office.

When I arrived in the office, I was greeted by Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall, along with Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and a small, blonde girl who I assumed was Fleur Delacour's little sister. On either side of me were Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, and Ludo Bagman.

"Er, morning, all," I said, giving an awkward little wave to all in the room. "May I ask what's-"

"You're just in time, Miss Malfoy," Professor Dumbledore said serenely. "I was just about to get to explaining why you've all been brought here today."

I stared blankly at Dumbledore. If I wasn't in trouble, and no one else had done anything, why were we here? Fred was probably looking all over for me, we were supposed to head down to the lake to watch the second task-

The second task.

Suddenly, it clicked.

"Don't tell me we're-"

"You're getting ahead of me, Miss Malfoy," Dumbledore said softly, putting up his hand. "But yes. You are what our four champions must recover from the lake in today's task."

My eyes widened, and I shook my head exaggeratedly.

"Are you saying we've got to stay under water for an hour?" I asked stupidly. "Professor, I'm not sure if anyone's mentioned this to you, but I'm an awful swimmer, I can barely-"

"Miss Malfoy, if you keep interrupting Professor Dumbledore, you won't get anywhere near the lake," Professor McGonagall said sharply.

Professor Dumbledore just smiled, trying to stay as serene as ever.

"You have each been identified as the thing our champions would miss most. Mr Weasley for Harry Potter, Miss Granger for Viktor Krum, Miss Delacour for her sister, and Miss Malfoy for Cedric Diggory."

Cedric would miss me the most? Since I now had to go float in the lake for an hour, I wasn't sure if I should be honored or horrified.

"You will be placed under a deep enchantment, a sort of bewitching that will keep you alive underneath the lake. I assure you that no harm will come to you while you are under, and that what we are about to do is perfectly safe."

"That's a relief," I muttered.

"I also want to make it clear that if you do not feel comfortable in any way, you may say so now. Speak now or forever hold your peace, as the Muggles say," Dumbledore continued, shooting me a smile. Did he think I was scared? If he did, I really had to do it now.

We all exchanged looks. Hermione and Ron looked nervous, but Fleur's sister looked flat out terrified. I looked around, waiting for something else to happen.

"No? In that case, I suppose we ought to begin the process. Minerva, if you would," he said. Professor McGonagall waved her wand and transfigured a chair into a small cot. Professor Dumbledore turned back to us.

"Miss Malfoy, if you would," he said, gesturing for me to lay down. I took two nervous steps forward and laid down, my hair fanning out behind me. I glanced over at Hermione and Ron, who looked nervous for me. I gave them both a small smile, which they both returned.

"Are you ready, Miss Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked. "You'll probably feel a tad cold, but mostly drowsy. You'll have no awareness of what's happening to you."

"That's no different than how I usually operate, Professor," I replied, trying to diffuse the tension.

With a wave of his wand, my eyes slowly closed, a wave of cold air fell over my head and shoulders, and I drifted peacefully to sleep.


	20. No surprises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second task concludes; Cass and Lee hatch a plan.

_There used to be a massive fountain in the gardens at Malfoy Manor. When I was four, maybe five, I fell in and nearly drowned._

_The fountain was more like a pool, located at the center of our hedge maze. Whoever was supposed to be watching me had turned away for only a moment as I toddled around the edge of the fountain, bouncing and giggling like a four-year-old tends to do. I lost my balance and simply fell in._

_I don't believe I was underwater for too long, but I remember the water filling my nose and throat and being really scared. It was my own mother who pulled me from the fountain, who'd walked through the garden at just the right moment. When I came to, spluttering and wailing uncontrollably, I remember my mother's screwed-up face, tears streaming down her porcelain cheeks, and the look of disappointment on my father's face when I somehow managed to survive the ordeal._

_I do briefly remember the feeling of coming back up to the surface, of being pulled from the bottom of the fountain by my mother. I could feel my body moving quickly, and when I finally came up out of the water, it felt like glass shattering, releasing me and bringing me back to where I belonged. Where I was in control. I don't think I went near that fountain ever again, but I'll always remember how it felt to be both stuck at the bottom and dragged back to the light._

_I was feeling it right now, as a matter of fact. Something, or someone, was pulling me somewhere. I could feel my body being dragged faster and faster until I hit the surface, the glass shattering, once again bringing me out of the darkness and back to the light._

* * *

"CASS! Cassie, hey, look at me! Are you alright?!"

I was gasping for air, trying to take in far more oxygen than my lungs would allow. I couldn't help it - I'd just spent an hour at the bottom of the Black Lake. I looked around wildly, Cedric at my side.

"Cedric, you know-"

"You can't swim, I know," he said. "Just hold onto me, I've got you."

Not having a choice, I complied, trying my best to stay calm. I turned to face forward, where the staff and students from all three schools were waiting for us. Up ahead, I saw three heads rushing to the front of the stands.

"CASS!" Annabelle screamed.

"C'mon, Cassie! C'mon, Ced!" Jermaine yelled, colliding with Belle as he landed next to her.

"DIGGORY!" Fred bellowed, his expression wild. "YOU KNOW SHE CAN'T SWIM, DON'T YOU?"

"HE KNOWS!" I called, my voice raspy. My inability to swim coupled with my inability to actually take in enough oxygen was making it difficult to stay afloat and keep moving, but Cedric kept pulling me along.

"Just a little further, Cass," Cedric breathed.

"I know…I know…" I muttered. "I'm the thing you'd miss the most. You wouldn't honestly let me drown, now would you?"

He laughed, then swam forward a little further until we finally reached the shore. As soon as we got there, Fred, Annabelle, and Jermaine came rushing down from the stands, Madame Pomfrey in their wake. Fred nearly fell face-first in the water at the sight of me, but Madame Pomfrey helped him up, thrusting a fluffy, black towel in mine and Cedric's arms.

"Take this, Miss Malfoy," she said, thrusting a bottle of Pepperup Potion into my trembling hands, which I downed gladly. My throat burned and there was most definitely steam emanating from my ears, but I didn't care. I was glad to be back on land, warm and drying off, with my friends and Fred.

"Merlin, I was so worried when you didn't show," Fred said, helping me onto my feet and holding me close to him. "Let me have a look at you."

Annabelle passed him her mirror from her pocket, which he handed to me. I eyed myself carefully in it. While some color was returning to my cheeks, my face was still pretty pale and my lips were a tiny bit blue. Lake water dotted my nose and forehead, which I hastily wiped off. Much to my horror, I even smelled like the lake too.

"Don't get too close," I said jokingly. "I don't want the essence of lake to rub off on you."

Fred let out a short laugh, then wrapped his arms around me even tighter, his lips touching the top of my head.

"You're right, you smell bloody awful," he said, laughing into my hair. "I don't give a damn, though. I'm just glad you're alright."

I gulped, finally able to breathe normally again. I looked around for Cedric, who was locked in an embrace with Cho, Gethin, Daniel, and Annamaria. I wandered over to him, Fred tailing me, clearly not wanting to let me out of his sight for a while.

"So, I guess I need to say thank you for rescuing me, yeah?" I asked, sneaking up and clapping my hand over Cedric's soggy shoulder. He turned around and gave me a big hug, our wet clothes dripping on everyone in our orbit. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Daniel crack a small, reluctant smile. I hadn't seen one of those on his faces in months – those Daniel Light smiles I'd come to know fairly well – but I smiled back.

After a few more minutes of drying off my soaking wet robes, Viktor Krum emerged from below with Hermione, whose usually bushy hair was sticking to her head, but no sign of Harry Potter quite yet. Everyone started shifting in their seats nervously. Fred held my still shaking hand and squeezed it tight, as if he had no intention of letting go for the rest of time.

We waited. Harry was far outside the one-hour time limit now. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dumbledore looking rather worried. Was he -no, he couldn't be. Dumbledore wouldn't let that happen.

All of a sudden, the crowd roared as Harry emerged from the lake, attempting to swim with Ron Weasley and Fleur's little sister on either side. The little girl started to panic when she realized where she was, but Harry and Ron helped guide her to shore. Fleur rushed to the shore, her eyes welling up.

"Gabrielle! Gabrielle! Is she alive? Is she 'urt?" she asked Harry, who was trying to hoist himself out of the water, as well as help Ron.

"She's fine! We're all fine!" he tried to say, but his voice sounded as raspy as mine. Fred reached down to help pull Ron from the lake. Beside him, their brother Percy suddenly appeared at Fred's side, his eyes wide and his expression hard as he helped drag Ron out of the water.

After a few minutes of drying Harry and Ron off and calming Fleur and her sister, we saw Ludo Bagman turn away from Dumbledore, who was deep in conversation with what appeared to be the head Merperson. With his wand to his throat, Bagman spoke, his voice booming over the stands and causing a hush to fall over everyone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our decision," he boomed. "We have therefore decided to award marks out of fifty for each of the champions, as follows: "Fleur Delacour, though she demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm, was attacked by grindylows as she approached her goal, and failed to retrieve her hostage. We award her twenty-five points."

Fleur shook her head and smiled sadly, clearly disappointed in herself.

"I deserve zero," she said quietly, so that only our small group could hear.

"That's not true and you know it, Fleur," Annabelle said reassuringly. "I'm sure you were brilliant down there."

Fleur smiled at Annabelle gratefully, blushing. Bagman continued.

"Cedric Diggory, who also used the Bubble-Head Charm, was first to return with his hostage, though he returned one minute outside the time limit of an hour. We therefore award him… forty-seven points!"

I shook Cedric's arm excitedly.

"Forty-seven! Look at you go!" I exclaimed. Cedric's face was once again overtaken by his too-wide smile. Seeing him so elated and proud of himself made my heart swell.

"Viktor Krum used an incomplete form of Transfiguration, which was nevertheless effective, and was second to return with his hostage. We award him forty points."

Up ahead, I could see Karkaroff puffing his chest out and clapping a bit too loudly. I turned over my shoulder to see that Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all looking particularly dejected. Poor kid.

"Harry Potter used gillyweed to great effect. He returned last, and well outside the time limit of an hour. However, the Merchieftainess informed us that Mr. Potter was first to reach the hostages, and that the delay in his return was due to his determination to return all hostages to safety. Most of the judges," he paused, shooting Karkaroff a steely stare, "feel that this shows moral fiber and merits full marks. Mr. Potter's score… is forty-five points!"

My jaw dropped. So did Cedric's. In fact, almost everyone looked stunned as Bagman announced Harry's score, which now meant that he was tied for first place. With Cedric.

"Look at you, moral fiber!" Fred called, patting Harry on the back.

"There you go, Harry!" Ron shouted over the crowd.

I leaned over to whisper in his ear.

"Way to go, Potter," I said. He turned ever so slightly and smiled gratefully at me, his eyes glazed over.

* * *

After Bagman announced that the third task would take place on the twenty-fourth of June, people began to disperse from the stands and head back up to the castle. As our group did the same, I followed Cedric and grabbed his forearm, pulling him away from the crowds for just a moment.

"Alright, Cassie?" he asked, clearly still worried about me.

"Yeah, I'd say so," I replied with a smile. "I'd really be the person you'd miss most?"

He rolled his eyes, clearly expecting that I'd ask the question.

"Cass, if it weren't for you and your incessant badgering and you putting your name in the goblet with me, I'd never have entered the tournament," he said simply. "You know me, eternal glory was never really my style, but I dunno…getting to prove that I'm good at magic-"

"You're brilliant at magic, mate."

"You know what I mean," he said, shaking his head. "This whole thing is once in a lifetime, and I'd have totally missed out if it weren't for you. So yeah, you are the thing I'd miss most."

I smiled, feeling overwhelmed with sentimentality and gratitude for Cedric. He always said all the right things, even when we were eleven and sitting next to each other on the Hogwarts Express for the first time.

"Were you trying to make me cry with that speech? Because you've done a damn good job," I giggled, shaking my head again. "I'm grateful for you too, Ced. If it weren't for you and Belle and Jermaine-"

"And Fred?"

"And Freddie, of course, I'd be totally lost. You're the thing I'd miss most too."

We parted ways after a few minutes, and Fred snuck up behind me shortly after.

"You going to wash the essence of lake off?" he asked, snaking his arm around my still-soggy waist.

"Yeah. Were you scared when I didn't show today?"

He considered for a moment.

"I wasn't at first," he started. "Thought you'd just gone out with Greengrass and Pucey, but when you weren't with them, that's when I got nervous. And then when I saw you come out of the lake…"

He paused, trying to choose his words carefully.

"What?"

"I remembered that story you told me about how you almost drowned in that fountain, when you were a kid?" he continued. "I just…I dunno. I don't like thinking about you being in danger. I mean, I've totally had dreams about you getting attacked by an Ashwinder or something, but when I saw you come out of the lake, and I saw you struggling, and…"

His voice trailed off. The look of genuine concern was stuck on his face, like he was almost afraid to be this vulnerable with me.

"Hey," I said, taking his hand in mine. "I'm not in danger anymore. I'm here. I'm fine. I'll always be fine, alright?"

He nodded, running his free and through his hair, clearly not convinced.

"Tell you what, Weasley," I said. "I'll always come back up to the surface. As long as you're around. And even if you're not around, I'll still always come back. You don't need to doubt that for a second."

He picked up his head to look me in the eye. The look of pure worry was now mixed with something else. Something like love.

"Promise?"

I nodded. "Promise."

* * *

Weeks passed. I spent hours in Snape's classroom, preparing demonstrations for the first-year class and studying for my N.E.W.T.'s. I found that I really did enjoy the teaching portion of assisting Snape; even in the low lights of the classroom, the looks of relief when Snape would announce that I would be leading class on any given day were unmistakable.

Fred and I also started spending an awful lot more time together after the second task. I don't think there was a single Wednesday night that he didn't spent with me in the potions classroom. It was nice: getting to spend time alone together that wasn't on weekends or with other people was always a godsend.

However, spending copious amounts of time with Fred made it difficult for me to plan the one thing in my life he didn't need to know about: his seventeenth birthday party.

"Lee, what day is it again?" I asked.

"Saturday," he replied as we wandered toward the Great Hall for lunch. "Which makes it so that Fred and George can have their party on the actual day. Now, I was thinking that you and Fred could spend a day in Hogsmeade, have a romantic date and all that rubbish, then come back here with the intention of preparing for an epic birthday prank. I'll meet you in the entrance hall, with George, where we'll sneak you into the common room, where all their friends will be waiting with as much butterbeer, gillywater, and Ogden's and ginger they could ever dream of!"

I nodded quickly, trying to take in all that information.

"Right," I said. "There's only one problem: who's going to buy all the firewhiskey? And get any candies or snacks? What about decorations? If I'm in Hogsmeade all day, I can't very well help you with any of that."

"Malfoy, as much as I've come to like you, you really do lack the forethought of a great party planner," Lee said, shaking his head. I rolled my eyes.

"You can pick up a few bottles of Ogden's Old at the Three Broomsticks," he suggested. "Just try not to drink them all on your way back to the castle."

"I'll do my best, Jordan," I shot back. "I'd suggest you get Annabelle and Jermaine to help you sneak food from the kitchens. Dobby the house-elf down there will be more than happy to help, I'd reckon. And you're sure he won't find out about any of this?"

He nodded. 

"What we need is for you keep your lips sealed, Malfoy. I considered we make an Unbreakable Vow on the matter, but thought better of it at the last minute."

I laughed, but quickly shut my mouth when I felt an arm come around my waist from behind.

"First you stole my heart, and now you're stealing my mates, eh, Malfoy?" Fred asked cheekily. "What are you lot going on about?"

"NOTHING!" we exclaimed in unison, before Lee hurried off to the Gryffindor table. I turned to face Fred, his arm still locked around my waist.

"What'd you think about going to Hogsmeade next weekend?" I asked. "For your birthday?"

Fred paused to consider. _Please say yes,_ I thought. _Otherwise it'll muck up the entire plan and Lee Jordan will taunt me forever._

"Yeah, alright," he replied. "You're on, love."

I exhaled, relieved.

"Courtyard, one o'clock?"

He nodded before he kissed me on the side of the nose and headed off to join George and Lee. I caught Lee's eye, gave a covert thumbs-up, then dashed off to the Slytherin table.

Before I could sit down, Professor Snape stopped me in my tracks.

"Have you been shirking your storeroom cleaning duties, Miss Malfoy?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

I gave him a look, taken aback.

"Professor, I was just in there two days ago," I said evenly. "It was completely spotless."

"Be that as it may, Miss Malfoy, it's come to my attention that certain ingredients have been going missing from that room. Boomslang skins, lacewing flies…"

I shook my head even more fervently.

"I don't know who'd be brewing Polyjuice Potion, if that's what you're asking."

"Wouldn't be covering for your…friend, Mister Weasley, now would you, Miss Malfoy? I'm also aware of Hermione Granger's penchant for the brew. You're certain you wouldn't be covering for any of Harry Potter's friends? Or trying to save your own skin?"

I stepped away from Snape. I didn't take kindly to being accused of lying, especially not from a teacher, and especially not one like Snape.

"Professor, I don't know anyone brewing Polyjuice Potion, or anyone who'd have the need to," I said firmly. "I did, however, see Professor Moody in the stores on the day of the second task-"

"Why would a professor be rooting around in my personal stores? Again, I'd expect these kinds of excuses from your brother, but not you-"

"It's not an excuse, Professor!" I exclaimed a bit too loudly. Belle and Jermaine turned to look. So did Draco. I exhaled, trying to compose myself.

"I don't know why those ingredients are going missing," I said quietly. "But if you're so curious about why Mad-Eye – I mean, Professor Moody was in there, why don't you ask him yourself?"

That shut Snape up quick. He stalked off quickly, leaving me enraged. Who the hell was brewing Polyjuice Potion at Hogwarts? And what on earth would they be needing it for?

* * *

"WELL, WELL, WELL!" I exclaimed, turning toward my boyfriend as he strolled into the courtyard. "If it isn't the birthday boy himself!"

Fred blushed, running his hands through his hair. He'd let it grow out all year, so it was all wavy and stopped around the middle of his neck. He wore the same navy t-shirt as the night of our first kiss, as well as a watch that I could only assume was from his parents.

"And if isn't the greatest birthday gift of all," he said, picking me up and spinning me around in the middle of the path. I screamed excitedly, which made him put me down quick. I stood on my toes and wrapped my arms around his neck, giving him a long kiss on the mouth.

"Happy birthday, darling," I whispered.

"Thanks, love," he whispered back, rolling his eyes. "Shall we?"

I nodded. As I laced my fingers through his, my mind was racing. Lee had all day to get the common room ready, sneak food from the kitchens, and round up all their friends to make sure the surprise went off without a hitch. My job? Keep Fred away from the castle as long as I possibly could.

"You know," Fred said, bringing me out of my head and back to earth, "I'm really kind of glad today's just us. Probably the best way to spend the day, to be honest."

"Yeah," I croaked, trying to not sound suspicious and failing miserably. "I'm sure it is."

* * *

We'd spent all day out in Hogsmeade. I think he started to suspect something when I insisted we sort of recreate our first date – Zonko's, walk to the Shrieking Shack, Honeyduke's, then the Three Broomsticks – but he was especially onto me when I bought three bottles of Ogden's Old from Madame Rosemerta.

"What's all this for, love?" Rosemerta asked me, cocking a blonde eyebrow. "Should I be worried about you?"

I shook my head, then leaned over the bar to whisper.

"It's Fred and George's birthday," I said. "Lee Jordan insisted I keep him out all day. If you know what I mean."

Her face broke into a smile, understanding my meaning.

"Right then," she said, handing me the three bottles of amber liquid. "You be safe, and have fun, alright? You're only seventeen once!"

I nodded, before turning around to see Fred waiting behind me. He looked stunned and totally suspicious when he saw me holding three bottles of Ogden's Old.

"Those all for you, Cassie?" he asked me. "Should I be worried?"

I rolled my eyes, playing it off.

"They're for us," I said. "Thought we could spend the night getting plastered and listening to music in my room. Followed by some snogging, if the birthday boy wishes."

He grinned. "Oh, does he ever."

After that, we ended up wandering back toward the castle, but I successfully steered Fred toward the lake, where we sat down and watched the sunset over the hills.

"You want to crack one of those open?" he asked, gesturing to the three bottles. "Make a toast to my surviving on this earth seventeen years?"

I laughed. "Maybe later?"

He screwed up his face, clearly unimpressed.

"Oh come on, Malfoy, let's get the party started now! Let's say we have a drink and let loose out here, where no Filch and no Snape could find us."

"NO!" I exclaimed a bit too loudly. Fred looked taken aback. "No, I just…I wanted to save all this for when I gave you your gift."

"And what, may I ask, did you get me?" he asked.

I smiled. "It's a surprise. Can't it wait until we get back?"

He considered, then nodded, resigned.

"Have it your way, Malfoy," he said, moving to lay down on the pebbles and rest his head in my lap.

It was quiet. We heard the voices of students returning to the castle and the wind in the trees, but not much else. I reached down to push Fred's hair out of his eyes, but he grabbed my hand by surprise and kissed it.

"I meant it when I said this was the best birthday," he said softly, rubbing his thumb over the back of my hand. "I really do love you, you know that?"

I nodded. "I love you too, Freddie. I know."

We sat in silence for a while longer. It could've been ten minutes or ten hours. We could've missed the party for all I knew, and I could've sat out here all night, taking in the view of the sun setting, the moon rising, and the serenely smiling face of the boy I adored.

All of a sudden, I heard footsteps behind me. Someone was running up to us.

"Oi, lovebirds!" Lee called out. I whipped around, my eyes wide. _We were supposed to meet in the entrance hall. What the hell was Lee doing out here?_

"Alright, Jordan?" Fred called, running his hands through his hair again.

"Yeah, listen, I wanted to give you and George your birthday present, mate! It's up in the castle, you've got to come quick!"

* * *

We met up with George in the entrance hall, as planned. I caught up with Lee, leaving the twins behind us.

"Is this it?" I said through gritted teeth.

"Just you wait," Lee said back, teeth just as gritted. "Just you wait."

"Where's this birthday gift, Jordan? All the way up on the roof?" Fred called, clearly onto Lee and I.

"No, mate!" he said, trying to retrace his steps. "Now that George is here...your birthday gift is that we're playing the most epic prank on Filch this school has ever seen!"

Both Fred and George's faces lit up, and I immediately felt bad for deceiving them.

When we reached the Fat Lady's portrait, Lee stopped short, taking a huge breath.

"Fairy lights!" Lee exclaimed, before the portrait swung open slowly. We turned around to the twins, trying so hard to hide our smiles.

"You ready, mate?" Lee asked. Fred cocked an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I'm ready. You two are acting really strange all of a sudden," he muttered, before brushing past us both and climbing into the portrait hole, with George following suit. All of a sudden, the common room came into view, and the sheer sound of one word overcame us all.

" _SURPRISE!"_


	21. It's the end of the world as we know it (and I feel fine)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fred and George celebrate their birthday. The third task begins.

Everyone – literally everyone Fred and George knew – stood before us, beaming. Angelina, Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet, Annabeth Taylor, Belle, Jermaine, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and most of Gryffindor House was spread across the common room, which was adorned with red and gold banners that read “HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRED AND FORGE” in huge, glittering letters. In the corner, a table was laid with snacks, little cakes, bottles of butterbeer, goblets of water, and everything in between.

Fred and George stared in awe at everyone in the room. George couldn’t stop smiling, but Fred turn to look at me, astonished.

“Is this- is this why we were out all day? Did you plan this?” he asked, his eyes wide.

I nodded.

“I may have assisted the party planning extraordinaire Lee Jordan in the endeavour,” I said jokingly, biting my lip.

Without missing a beat, he lifted me up off the ground and kissed me as hard as he could, the same as we did during the first party I ever attended in this room. The whole common room went wild, and Lee dropped the needle on the record player in the corner, sending the party into full swing.

When Fred put me back down, he kissed me again on the forehead.

“This is…Merlin, this is brilliant, Cassie,” he breathed, still taking it all in. “Thank you so much!”

I beamed. “Yeah, yeah, you’re welcome. You know I really did it for George, right, Georgie?!”

George whipped around, his arms entwined with Annabeth Taylor’s. 

“Malfoy, this really is brilliant!” he exclaimed. “I don’t think we ever had a birthday party quite like this before, especially not growing up.”

“I don’t think Mum or Dad liked the idea of putting candles anywhere near our food, or our faces for that matter,” Fred added. I laughed at the thought of a tiny Fred and a tiny George scampering around their childhood home with party hats and lit birthday candles, their older brothers attempting to wrestle them out of their hands.

I ended up wandering over to the table to set the Ogden’s bottles down, uncorking one to pour into a goblet for myself. I poured another cup for Fred and handed it to him.

“Now that you’re seventeen, you can legally enjoy it,” I said, raising my glass. “A toast?”

“What’s the occasion? Other than the obvious,” Fred said.

I considered for a moment.

“To you,” I said, lowering my voice. “To you, Frederick Gideon Weasley. To muddling through and surviving another day and…to creating the life you’ve always dreamed of, now and always. How’s that for a toast?”

He grinned. “I’ll drink to that, Malfoy. And in the spirit of giving toasts, I’d like to propose one. To you.”

My eyebrows shot up. “To me? What on earth for?”

“To you, Cassiopeia Isolde Malfoy,” he said, raising his glass of Ogden’s and ginger to me. “For this party, for this whole bloody day, for the last however many months it’s been. To you, the girl who’s loved me better than anyone ever has and ever will. I want you to know…”

He paused, shaking his head.

“What?” I said. “Want me to know what?”

He kept shaking his head.

“Nothing! I’ll tell you later, when we’re…alone,” he said, taking a gulp of his drink. I rolled my eyes, putting it out of my head. After a beat, I wandered over to Lee, who was manning the common room record player like it was his job.

“I come bearing gifts,” I said, handing Lee a very full cup of Ogden’s and ginger. “You deserve it after managing to pull this off.”

He grinned, then took a gulp of his drink, grimacing as he swallowed the burning liquor. I giggled as I dropped to my knees to rifle through the basket of vinyl that behind the record player. They were mostly class rock albums from the 60s and 70s, with pieces of tape or parchment denoting who they must’ve belonged to (“PROPERTY OF L. EVANS, DO NOT STEAL,” “This Record Belongs to M. McKinnon. Hands Off!,” and one or two that said “Property of Sirius Orion Black, He Who Has the Best Music Taste In All of Gryffindor House (It’s Not Even Close, Prongs)”).

I didn’t know who L. Evans or M. McKinnon were, but they did have great taste. I bet they made a lot of good memories up here. I wondered if Sirius did too.

* * *

After making my rounds through the party, drinking two more Ogden’s and gingers, and spending a little more time with the Gryffindor common room record collection, I found a familiar album cover and yanked it from the pile, shoving it into Lee’s hands.

“Put this on?” I asked as he took Queen’s “A Day at the Races” out of its dusty paper sleeve. He delicately placed the disc on the turntable and dropped the needle, the opening strains of “Tie Your Mother Down” booming through the common room. I weaved back through the crowd to find Fred, who was sipping his second Ogden’s and ginger and admiring Lee’s decorative handiwork from the couch. When he noticed me sitting down next to him, he wrapped his arm around me and pulled me into his lap.

“I really still can’t get over that you and Lee did all of this,” I said, shaking his head.

I shrugged. “Don’t act too surprised. You two are practically celebrities at Hogwarts. If anyone deserves a massive blowout party for their seventeenth birthday, it’s you two.”

He smiled, then leaned around to kiss my cheek. As he did, I caught a glimpse of his watch on his left wrist. I held his wrist and brought it close to me so I could take a better look. The watch was silver and the black, dragon-leather band fit his slim wrist just right. The face was almost iridescent, with an intricate, glittering green and silver pattern surrounding a star with five points – a pentacle, to be exact.

“So, what’s the story with your watch?” I asked. “Everybody knows getting your watch is a big deal when you’re seventeen.”

Fred smiled, adjusting the watch.

“It was actually my uncle’s watch,” he explained. “My father’s brother, Gawain. He fought with them back in the first war, but…he’s been in St. Mungo’s since before I was alive, I’d reckon. I never really knew him, but we’d hear stories here and there. Seemed like a really brave bloke. Really kind. Always had the courage of his convictions, as the Muggles say. I reckon Mum and Dad gave me his watch in the hope that I’d be inspired to be more like him.”

I watched as he spoke, lost in his own head. It became clear that he was daydreaming about more than measuring up to the uncle he never knew.

“I think you’re probably more like him than you know,” I said softly, pushing a stray, fiery lock out of his eye. “You’re brave, you’re honest, you’re…”

My voice trailed off. “I don’t know him, but I think he’d be really honored to know that you had his watch. I can’t think of a better recipient, honestly.”

Fred blushed, not meeting my gaze.

“You’re too nice to me, you know that?” he asked, now pushing the hair out of my eyes, making my cheeks burn. “You’ve always seen the best in me, even when I can’t really see it in myself.”

My brow furrowed. “How so?”

He paused, considering his words.

“It’s just…George and I are really serious about this joke shop. It’s not just a silly idea to piss off our mum, it never was. Most everyone in my family’s gone on to work for the Ministry, or have some other important, stable job and I know that’s what my parents want, but it’s not what I want, and I…I sometimes wonder if George and I ought to give it all up and fall in line with that lot.”

I shook my head fervently.  
“Freddie, you’ve got the biggest dreams of anyone I know! And the best bit is that they’re going to come true!” I exclaimed, squeezing his hand. “You and George have these brilliant heads, not just for business, but you’re both just so…creative and ambitious, it really is a wonder neither of you were in Slytherin! Just because your dreams are different from what your mum and dad want doesn’t mean they have any less value. It’s really important to me that you know that, alright?”

He still wouldn’t meet my gaze, but he squeezed my hand tighter, exhaling. I looked around. Once again, I’d totally forgotten that there was a party going on. Moments like this – where we could be serious with one another – happened rarely, but I savored each and every one.

“You know, I’ve always loved how much you’ve always believed in me, Cassie,” he said quietly. “It’s one of the many reasons why I love you.”

I smiled. “I love you too.”

“I was going to say this earlier, but I…this – us – it isn’t going to just go away after you leave Hogwarts, is it?” he asked, his eyes full of concern. _This was what he was going to say during our toast, I_ thought. _I know it._

I stared blankly at him, considering my response. I remembered back to the last time I’d had a conversation like this; with Daniel on the Hogwarts Express. I’d royally fucked up that entire exchange, and I was determined not to make the same mistakes again. It wasn’t hard, thought, because my feelings for Fred were nothing like my feelings for Daniel. With Daniel, I truly didn’t know what I wanted. With Fred, it was always obvious. 

“No, it’s not,” I said simply, sealing my fate. “It’s not going to go away. I plan on being with you for as long a haul as humanly possible, Weasley. If that’s alright with you, that is.”

He blushed, pulling me in for a soft kiss, his eyelashes tickling my cheek and making me smile.

“It’s more than alright, Malfoy,” he replied, his lips mere centimeters from my face. “It’s bloody perfect, it is.”

We kissed again, his fingers now tangled up in my hair. The taste of spice and sweetness from his drink only made me want more of him. Before I could get it, I heard the familiar opening of a song that only made me want to dance. I shot up from my seat and began to sing to Fred in an overexaggerated impression of Freddie Mercury.

_I can dim the lights and sing_ _  
You songs full of sad things  
We can do the tango, just for two  
I can serenade and gently play  
On your heart strings  
_ _[Be a Valentino, just for you](https://genius.com/Queen-good-old-fashioned-lover-boy-lyrics#note-6732795) _

As the chorus began, I yanked Fred up from his seat, pulling him into step with me as a I twirled about the couch in the common room. “Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy” was a favorite of mine, and I remembered singing and dancing to it in with Tonks after too many whiskey gingers over the summer. The neighbors definitely complained after seeing us waltzing about the yard and singing at the top of our lungs on more than one occasion.

“OOH, LOVE!” I sang. “OOH, LOVER BOY! WHAT’RE YOU DOING TONIGHT? HEY, BOY!”

I heard various students sing the rest of the chorus around me, swaying to the tune and sipping their drinks. We giggled and waltzed about ever more, Fred twirling me under his arms, picking me up, and spinning me round and around in circles. I could’ve stayed dancing like that, with him, all night.

All of a sudden, the song came to its abrupt end, and I could hear the needle jump away from the record. I whipped around to Lee.

“WHAT’RE YOU DOING?!” I yelled across the room, my voice slightly slurring from the rather large drink I’d been filling and refilling throughout the night.

Lee grinned.

“I’m giving the birthday boy a chance to give _us_ a gift.”

Fred turned around to face Lee.

“Why am I the one giving a gift, it’s my birthday!”

Lee smirked, then dropped the needle on the record player, which was now blasting “Dancing With Myself” by Billy Idol. My jaw dropped and my eyes widened with delight. I’d picked up a variety of Billy Idol and Generation X cassettes in the Muggle shops, but this song was the surest way to get me dancing, sober or otherwise.

Fred grinned widely. Clearly this was a song that he was known to dance to in the common room. With a wiggle of his brows, he grabbed my hand. Instead of spinning me around, he threw me over his shoulder, my stomach colliding with bone, as he hoisted me up and set me down on a table, the very same table where we’d drunkenly danced and kissed for the very first time. 

Everyone turned around and hollered, clearly expecting a repeat of the last time we were up here. On the floor, George and Annabeth Taylor whistled and hollered at us, their cheeks red and arms entwined. Katie and Lee were cheering from the corner by the record player, and Belle and Jermaine were slack-jawed and waiting for me to let loose with Fred in front of them. Fred and I exchanged looks, our drinks in hand.

“Finish your drink and let’s dance,” I demanded, a smirk playing across my whole face.

“Malfoy, my cup’s bloody full.”

“Alright, chug your drink and then let’s dance. 1, 2, 3, GO!”

Before he could object, I put my cup to my lips and started chugging the rest of my Ogden’s and ginger, clearly trying to down the liquid before he could. I peered over the top of my cup to watch him drink, the crowd around us hollering and yelling “CHUG!” every few seconds or so. When we both finished and came back up for air, Fred grabbed my free hand and swung me around, clearly ready to dance after that dose of liquid courage.

Dancing on the table this time didn’t feel wrong or dangerous or like I was making a huge mistake. No, it felt like being home.

As we danced, the room was definitely spinning faster and faster. It didn’t help that “Dancing With Myself” had a frantic, chaotic beat and an equally chaotic guitar line, but I couldn’t stop moving my feet, twisting my hips, holding Fred’s hands as we danced. His face was painted with the same rosy-cheeked, swollen-lipped, mad expression as the first time, and it drove me absolutely wild.

Suddenly, Fred was screaming into the crowd, his eyes on George and Annabeth:

If I had the chance, I'd ask the world to dance  
If I had the chance, I'd ask the world to dance  
If I had the chance, I'd ask the world to dance

Annabeth shook her head fervently, but George took her hand and jogged up to us. I took their hands in my very sweaty ones and hoisted them up onto the table, which was met with raucous applause from the crowd. I turned around to see Annabeth, who was not used to being shoved up on a tiny tabletop at any party, much less with her boyfriend, his brother, and his brother’s girlfriend.

“I don’t think I’ve ever danced on a table at any party!” she called over the music. I smiled and shook my head.

“Now you and George can carry it on when I’m gone!” I called back, whipping around to face her and dance. Behind us, Fred and George’s dance moves were mirroring one another, disco fingers and gyrating hips. Annabeth and I just laughed, dancing together as our boys did. I turned over my shoulder every so often to catch Fred’s eye, the usual devious twinkle only exacerbated by the liquor, music, and the high of being seventeen. In this moment, everything was perfect. _This is it,_ I thought. _This is what it means to be young._

I wished it could’ve lasted forever. 

* * *

_“D’you think they’re alive?”_

_“Dunno.”_

_“We could always pour water on them, see if that brings them back.”_

“We’re alive,” I croaked. “Please don’t dump water on my face, I’m begging you.”

I opened my eyes slowly to see George, Lee, Angelina, Katie, and Annabeth standing over me, peering down. I turned my neck ever so slightly, my head pounding. I was laying in the couch in the Gryffindor common room, but no sign of Fred until I looked down at the floor. There, dead asleep, mouth open, frosting from his cake smeared across his cheek, was my boyfriend.

“Freddie?” I groaned softly. “Freddie, hey. Wake up.”

He stirred, opening his eyes just as slowly. He squeezed them shut tight when he saw who was standing over us.

“Bloody hell, what happened?” he asked, clearly not remembering last night at all.

George and the group exchanged looks.

“Well mate, we danced, the table broke, we ate cake, then you and Cass snogged on the couch until all of us were forced to go up to bed in order to get away from you.”

Fred and I laughed in disbelief. 

“Right then,” I said, slowly moving to stand. “I need something salty in my stomach before I puke everywhere. Freddie, need help?”

He shook his head as he peeled himself off the ground, trying to support himself on his elbows.

“We’ll see you guys at breakfast,” he grumbled, waving them off. As they climbed through the portrait hole, he turned to look at me.

“How’re you feeling?” he said, still slurring slightly.

“Are you still drunk?” I asked with a giggle. He cocked an eyebrow.

“Dunno. Could be. Do you remember much of anything last night?”

I considered. I did remember, but I wasn’t sure how much I wanted to divulge.

_Fred and I on the couch, kissing fervently, him slurring my name over and over, our noses continually colliding and his eyelashes tickling my cheek. Lips all over my face - my cheeks, nose, forehead, neck. The way he said my name - warm and low and like a prayer he'd memorized long ago - stuck in my head like nothing else._

“Not really,” I muttered. “Just a lot of snogging with the birthday boy, that’s all.”

He smiled, helping me up off the couch and pushing a piece of hair from my face.

“Do you remember, at the start of the party –“

“Where I said I was in it for as long a haul as humanly possible?” I finished. “Yes. And I still mean it. You don’t have to worry about me waking up in the morning and changing my mind.”

The grin that spread across his face was coupled with a look of pure relief in his eyes. For once, he didn’t need to say anything back. He just knew.

* * *

The next two months flew by. I basically spent all hours in the potions classroom, studying for exams, snogging my boyfriend, and everything in between. As much as Fred didn’t want me to know he was studying hard, the look he got in his eye when trying to remember wand movements for Charms was adorable.

Snape never asked me about the storeroom again. I did, however, begin paying a little more attention to the quantities of boomslang skins and lacewing flies, just to make sure that if they were going missing, I would catch it, but nothing ever seemed to go missing. Every time I counted, there wasn’t a thing missing. Nevertheless, I kept going about my business, cleaning, leading demonstrations, and thinking far too much about what lie ahead.

I received a letter on my birthday from Claudius Mulpepper, the owner of Mr. Mulpepper’s Apothecary in Diagon Alley, offering me an apprenticeship in his shop, which I happily accepted. I’d leave Hogwarts in June, then begin my apprenticeship in September, marking the official start of my journey to becoming a Potioneer. I was thrilled: the last seven years or so had been leading up to this moment, and I still couldn’t believe that it had finally arrived.

The third task was also quickly approaching – like, happening tonight approaching. Cedric’s parents were here somewhere, and Fred’s mum and brother had shown up for Harry, which made my heart swell. He’d been having a rough few weeks, what with Rita Skeeter writing nonsense about him in the Daily Prophet (nonsense that my brother had been feeding to her, no less) and he seemed distracted all the time. Nervous, more like. 

I saw Fred’s mum and his brother Bill at the Gryffindor table, surrounded by Harry, Hermione, and the rest of the Weasley siblings. I caught Fred’s eye during lunch to see if he would introduce me to his mother, but no such luck. He probably hadn’t even told her about me, but I didn’t mind. Now probably wasn’t a good time for introductions anyway.

As the afternoon turned to evening, Dumbledore made an announcement during dinner.

“Ladies and gentlemen, in five minutes’ time, I will be asking you to make your way down to the Quidditch field for the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament. If the champions could follow Mr. Bagman down there now, please.”

Harry, Cedric, Viktor, and Fleur all stood from their tables to follow Ludo Bagman out of the hall. Cheering could be heard from the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables, and I saw Amos and Serena Diggory stand to give their son a farewell hug. As he walked away to join his fellow champions, I caught Cedric’s eye and smiled.

 _“Good luck,”_ I mouthed with a grin.

 _“Thanks,”_ he mouthed back, before rounding the corner of the entrance hall and disappearing.

* * *

“Cedric tells us you’re going to be working at Diagon Alley this fall? That’s brilliant! You’re going to do so well, Cassie,” Serena Diggory said, wrapping her arm around me in a hug, which Mr. Diggory followed. Cedric’s parents had always been warm and welcoming to me, and I was thrilled when they ask me to join them in the stands to watch Cedric compete in the final task.

“Yeah, I couldn’t be happier, Mrs. Diggory,” I said, blushing. “I’ll apprentice there, then possibly become an assistant, but I think I’d like to be be a teacher one day. Maybe even teach at Hogwarts.”

“Well, I’m sure you’d make a finer potions instructor than Severus Snape,” Mr. Diggory chided, winking at me. “Cedric says you’re leading classes with first-years!”

“Yeah, yeah, a class full of wide-eyed eleven-year-olds are always thrilled when Snape says I’ll be teaching for the day. The looks of relief on their faces never get old.”

Mr. and Mrs. Diggory laughed, taking their seats in the stands. The Quidditch pitch had been transformed into a twenty-foot high hedge maze, reminding me of the one at my childhood home. There was a small opening in the leaves for an entrance, but the rest of the maze looked dark and ominous.

“This looks a little scary, don’t you think?” Mrs. Diggory asked warily. “I hope Ced doesn’t have to do anything too difficult in there.”

“Mrs. Diggory, your son battled a dragon and rescued me from the bottom of a lake in under an hour,” I explained. “He’s also in first place. I wouldn’t be surprised if he returned from this task a thousand Galleons richer.”

She blushed, then turned to talk to Amos for a few more minutes. I craned my neck, searching for Fred, who was sitting with his brothers, mother, and Hermione. After about five minutes, Bagman put his wand to his throat and faced the crowd, ready to address us all.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin!” he boomed. “Tied in first place, with eighty-five points each — Mr. Cedric Diggory and Mr. Harry Potter. In second place, Mr. Viktor Krum, and in third place — Miss Fleur Delacour!”

At the entrance of the maze, each champion stood, looking nervously at the crowd and at what lay ahead in the maze. Cedric caught my eye one final time before heading into the maze. Next to me, his parents cheered.

It was at this moment that I thought my heart might burst with pride for my friend. He’d come so far and was so close to winning. The goblet chose him and Merlin, it chose right.

 _Wish me luck,_ he mouthed to his parents and I, the look on his face both excited and terrified.

 _I love you, I_ mouthed back, cheering along with his parents as Cedric turned his back to us and wandered into the maze with Harry. I was certain that when he returned, whenever he returned, he would be a champion, and that would make our year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm putting a preemptive warning at the end of this chapter. Chapter 22 will contain a major character death. The depiction will not be particularly graphic in nature, but it will be emotionally difficult to read. It's emotionally difficult to write - I've cried a few times trying to write it. I want to warn readers now that this is coming and signifies a shift in tone from here on out. Themes will become a little more adult and that "M" warning I've put on here is going to be needed.


	22. Emptiness, pt. ii

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The third task concludes. Cass gives the Minister for Magic a piece of her mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Major character death (the description is not graphic, but definitely emotionally taxing to read). Lots and lots of grief.

I’ve only ever blacked out from drinking a handful of times in my life. The routine after was always the same: wake up, nurse your pounding head and churning stomach with bacon and black coffee, and sleep for the rest of the day. Even if you felt like death to begin with, you ended the day feeling even the tiniest bit human again, no matter what.

Never had I ever blacked out from the shock and grief that comes with someone actually being dead.

* * *

When Harry Potter reappeared at the entrance of the maze with Cedric, we cheered.

Amos, Serena, and I shot up from our seats and embraced, our arms locked tight around one another, our smiles wide and joyous. Everyone around us screamed with delight at the return of both Hogwarts champions.

Then, over the rest of the noise, we heard Harry Potter’s strangled voice. He sounded like he was having trouble breathing, like he was crying and hyperventilating at the same time, refusing to let go of Cedric, who was laying on the ground, injured or...

_“He’s back…he’s back…Voldemort’s back.”_

It was around this time that we noticed Cedric hadn’t gotten off the ground since they returned.

_“Cedric asked me to bring his body back…I couldn’t leave him…not there…I couldn’t leave him…”_

I looked at Amos and Serena, who were already rushing out of their seats to where their son lay. Cornelius Fudge tried to block them, tried to tell them that he was only gravely injured, but he was their son, their baby. They knew better.

I probably shouldn’t have followed them, but I needed to know. I tailed Mr. Diggory down the steps of the pitch, and as soon as my feet landed on the grass, I was thankful that the earth was there to catch me as I sank to the ground.

In death, he looked surprised, like whatever (or whoever) killed him had come out of nowhere. His eyes were glassy and there was a cut above his right eyebrow and foul-smelling dirt and sweat on his cheek. In front of me, his parents sank to the ground, clutching his body the same as Harry was.

Harry then went on to try and explain that Voldemort had returned to his human form and that the Death Eaters had rejoined him at his side. I looked up at the dozen adults standing over him, clearly in disbelief as he continued to cry and beg for them to believe him. My eyes left Harry and darted over to Amos, who was holding his son to him, his usually tall, proud frame hunched over and wracked with sobs. Serena merely reached over to close Cedric’s eyes and brush her limp, dark hair out of his face.

_My best friend._

The person who sat with me on the Hogwarts Express when I was eleven. Who made the worst days better with his smiles and good-natured banter. I’d convinced him to put his name in the goblet. I goaded him into this. The goblet chose him, and now he was gone forever.

I took his limp hand in mine, holding it close to me. I tried so hard to hold myself together for his parent’s sake, but as soon as Serena locked eyes with me, I couldn’t do it. The sight of a mother and father grieving their son and the sound of Harry Potter begging the adults to take him seriously made me lose it. I squeezed Cedric’s hand tightly and as I did, let out a guttural unfettered sob.

I don’t know how long that went on for, that horrific dogpile of snot, sweat, and tears, with the Boy Who Lived and my dead best friend. I had no concept of time and my ears were ringing like crazy. Behind me, I felt someone gently try to pull me away from Cedric, but I yanked myself back. My best friend was dead – my whole world had just completely shattered. I had no room for manners.

“Cassie, come on-“

“No.”

“Cassie, please –“

“I SAID NO!” I screamed, turning around to face whoever dared try to rip me away from Cedric.

It was Daniel. His face was pale and his eyes were welling up, but I could tell he was trying to be strong for Cedric’s parents. Mrs. Diggory reached over her son’s body to take Daniel’s hand, as if to say _it’s alright, he’d want you here, too,_ and he completely broke down, his face screwed up and the sobs coming from his lips almost worse than mine.

In that moment, I threw my free arm around his neck and buried my face in the crook of it, my voice muffled. I turned to look up ever so slightly at the horrified faces in the crowd. Ron and Hermione stood there, trying to hold back tears. Cho Chang tried desperately to get through the crowd and failed. There wasn’t a dry eye among the Beauxbatons students, and even Krum and the young men from Durmstrang were crying quietly.

Behind Ron and Hermione, equally horrified, was Fred. I couldn’t quite place the look on his face. Shock, yes, at the loss of a student and a Quidditch opponent, but guilt and sadness and anger that the person comforting me in this moment was Daniel, and all he could do was stand and stare.

Once again, I felt another arm yank me away from Daniel and from Cedric, this one rough and strong, like an adult instead of a child. I looked up, and Professor Moody’s face swam into view, his magic eye lolling around in his head, and what looked like a smirk playing across his scarred face. He was holding Harry up with his other arm.

“Come along, Miss Malfoy,” he muttered. “I’m told you can procure a brew to help Mr. Potter here.”

I knew there was no use in struggling with him. I let Moody take me away from the Quidditch pitch and back up to the castle, away from the horror of what I’d just witnessed, leaving me with the tiniest, stupidest bit of hope that it was all a horrible dream, and that I’d wake up soon enough.

* * *

And wake up I did.

My eyes fluttered open slowly. I was in the hospital wing, the sterile room and the small bed I was laying on coming into view. Professor Moody brought me here after I’d thrown up in the entrance hall and couldn’t walk anymore. That’s all I remembered before everything went black. Now that I was awake, I had no idea how long I’d been out.

After a minute, I heard voices next to me. Several voices – mostly men, one or two women, and all were yelling.

 _“By all accounts, he is no loss!”_ said one voice. I recognized it to be that of Cornelius Fudge. Then, Dumbledore’s voice.

_"But he cannot now give testimony, Cornelius. He cannot give evidence about why he killed those people.”_

_Who were they talking about? Who killed who?_

_“He was a raving lunatic!”_ continued Fudge, clearly incredibly angry at Dumbledore, for why I didn’t know. _“From what Minerva and Severus have told me, he seems to have thought he was doing it all on You-Know-Who’s instructions!”_

 _Lord Voldemort was giving him instructions, Cornelius,”_ Dumbledore countered. _“Those people’s deaths were mere by-products of a plan to restore Voldemort to full strength again. The plan succeeded. Voldemort has been restored to his body.”_

Silence. I didn’t dare turn my head, for fear that they’d notice I’d heard an entire conversation that I probably wasn’t meant to here.

_“You-Know-Who . . . returned? Preposterous. Come now, Dumbledore . . .”_

I shifted quietly in my bed, thankful that there was a white curtain around it to conceal me. I put my feet on the ground and stood up slowly, uncertain that I even had the strength to do that. _I should probably find Madame Pomfrey and get out of here,_ I thought. _I should probably also find Cedric’s parents._

I tied my boots and wobbled out from behind the curtain, trying to make myself as small as possible. When I turned around, I saw Fudge, Dumbledore, and McGonagall, who were crowded around another small bed where Harry was laying. On that bed sat Ron, Hermione, Bill Weasley, and the woman I saw earlier, who I could only assume was Ron and Bill’s mum. She was petite with a heart-shaped face, brown eyes, and tightly curled, frizzy red hair. There was a warmth about her that radiated through the whole room, even though the look on her face said that she wanted to throttle Fudge.

All of a sudden, Dumbledore noticed I was trying to leave. He smiled sadly.

“Professor, please forgive me,” I started, my voice shaking. “I’m just leaving, if I could only find-“

“There’s no need for that,” he said gently. “It would do well for you to hear the truth of what has happened tonight, Cassie.”

Dumbledore had _never_ called me by my first name before. This had to be serious.

“First, I want to extend my deepest condolences to you. I know Cedric Diggory was a dear friend of yours, and that you two put your names in the Goblet of Fire together.”

I gulped, my cheeks growing hot and my ears starting to buzz. _Guess it wasn’t a bad dream after all. Cedric really was dead._

“I am not sure how much you’ve heard of our conversation so far, so let us assume that you were not listening up until this moment,” he continued, his face now solemn. “Lord Voldemort has returned to his human form. Your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was not, in fact, Alastor Moody, but a Death Eater named Barty Crouch Jr., disguised by Polyjuice Potion. Under the influence of Veritaserum – Veritaserum that, I am told, you yourself brewed in your Potions class – he has confessed to numerous crimes and has received the Dementor’s Kiss.”

I stared blankly at Dumbledore. If anything, at least I knew who was stealing boomslang skins and lacewing flies from the storeroom now.

“Dumbledore, please,” Fudge interjected. “There’s no need to involve this young lady – what did you say your name was, my dear?”

“Cassiopeia,” I said evenly, my face hard. “Cassiopeia Malfoy.”

All of a sudden, Mrs. Weasley’s head shot up and faced me. She looked like she wanted to kill me.

 _“Malfoy?”_ she hissed, her face turning red. “You’re Lucius’s daughter, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, Mum, we met Cassie at the World Cup Final,” Bill interjected, trying to keep his mother from exploding.

“Yeah, she’s Fred’s…” Ron said, his voice trailing off when he saw the murderous look on his mother’s face. I was incredibly confused. I know my father was never kind to the Weasley family, but Mrs. Weasley had never met me, and I wasn’t my father. What the hell was going on?

Mrs. Weasley shot up from the bed and walked briskly out of the hospital wing, her eyes downcast. I looked back at Bill wildly.

“What the bloody hell was that?" I asked hotly. He opened his mouth to speak, but Fudge interjected once again, address Professor Dumbledore.

“Dumbledore, you are prepared to believe the word of a boy who…well…”

“Listen to me, Cornelius,” said Dumbledore, his voice low. “Harry is as sane as you or I. But take a look at that scar upon his forehead. I believe it hurts him when Lord Voldemort is close by or feeling particularly murderous.”

Fudge guffawed at this possibility. Harry looked murderous now.

“You’ll forgive me, Dumbledore, but I’ve never heard of a curse scar acting as an alarm bell before-“

“I SAW HIM RETURN!” Harry exclaimed, attempting to get out of bed. Bill and Hermione held him down. “I saw the Death Eaters, I can give you their names! Macnair-“

“Cleared of all charges!” Fudge countered. “Now working for the Ministry!”

“Avery — Nott — Crabbe — Goyle —” Harry continued.

“Again, cleared of all charges! Acquitted thirteen years ago!” Fudge spluttered back, his face turning redder by the minute.

_“Lucius Malfoy-“_

“What?” I asked, my voice cracking. “You saw my father?”

Harry looked taken aback by my question but nodded. My heart dropped.

“Malfoy was cleared!” said Fudge, now yelling. “A very old family — donates to excellent causes. The man’s daughter is right here! You dare accuse him in front of his own child? Honestly, boy-“

_“I believe Harry.”_

Everyone turned to look at me, even the large, black dog that popped up from the other side of Harry’s bed. Fudge’s eyes widened, his face still like thunder. Dumbledore and McGonagall looked as though they wanted to stop me from talking. It was true; I did believe Harry. None of these people truly knew my father, what he believed, what he was capable of. If Harry said he rejoined Voldemort last night, I believed it wholeheartedly. 

“Come now, Miss Malfoy, I’m sure your father would be incredibly disheartened to hear you say such a thing-“

“My father doesn’t give a damn about me,” I said, my voice even. I was trying so hard not to scream in Fudge’s face or break down in tears.

“Who Lucius Malfoy is in front of you…he’s not the same man behind closed doors, and before you dispute me, you did not grow up in his house. You were not surrounded by the Dark Arts as a child. Those Death Eaters you just said were acquitted? I can count on both hands the number of times my parents had them over for dinner. You did not grow up with Christmas parties full of Death Eaters, the ones who managed to convince you they’d acted under the Imperius Curse. Whatever my father has told you about ‘renouncing the old ways’ is a lie. It is a lie he’s told to keep his job in your ministry, and it is a lie he’s told to keep the Prophet off our doorstep. You wouldn’t know this, so I will tell you, and you will listen: my father has been lying in wait for the Dark Lord to return, and if he has, he will be by his side until he is restored to his former power.”

Fudge tried to interject, his face like thunder, but I continued, my eyes squeezed shut and fighting back tears.

“My father, and countless others, will stand at the right hand of the Dark Lord once more, and when he does – which he will – you will be sorry you did not believe Harry, you will be sorry you did not believe me, and you will be sorry that you didn’t take action when you had the chance.”

Silence. I opened my eyes slowly to see all eyes in the room glued to me. Harry looked grateful that I’d spoken up, but Dumbledore and McGonagall looked concerned. Hermione looked concerned as well, and Ron and Bill looked rather impressed.

Fudge looked at me, then at Harry, then at Dumbledore. The only sound was that of the black dog trotting over to my side, nuzzling my hand. Fudge opened his mouth slowly.

“Dumbledore, I will not be goaded and fear-mongered into believing the baseless claims of two clearly emotionally disturbed children-“

“You fool!” McGonagall exploded. “Cedric Diggory! Mr. Crouch! These acts were not the random work of a lunatic!”

“I see no evidence to the contrary!” Fudge countered, now shouting back at McGonagall.

I couldn’t take it anymore. I wasn’t going to stand there and listen to Fudge say that Cedric’s death was an accident, an unfortunate blunder committed by a teenage wizard. He didn’t know Cedric; how brilliant and brave he was, how he could duel even better than I could, how he prepared for the third task as best he could. I wouldn’t listen to him drag his name through the mud.

As I started walking past McGonagall, I heard Professor Dumbledore’s voice behind me.

“Miss Malfoy,” he said gently. “You will find Mr. and Mrs. Diggory waiting outside. They have spent the last few hours with Professor Sprout, but I believe they also wished to speak to you.”

I nodded, then pushed the door open and walked into the hall.

* * *

There, Serena and Amos were waiting for me. 

“You alright, darling?” Mrs. Diggory asked me, clutching her bag. I nodded. Mr. Diggory tried to smile, but only broke down again. He turned away to collect himself, leaving his wife and I alone.

I nodded. _Should I tell them the truth? That is was me that convinced their only child to enter the Triwizard Tournament? That if it weren’t for my pressure, he would standing here now? Alive?_

“We’ve just been going through Cedric’s things, you see…we thought you might like one of his jumpers,” she continued, reaching into her bag. “We’ve just seen Dan and given him one. You two were the closest to him. You should have something to remember him by, not just your memories alone.”

I stared blankly at her. I couldn’t accept whatever she was rooting around in her bag for. After a moment, she pulled out a navy-blue jumper with tan suede patches on the elbows. I recognized it immediately; I’d gotten it for him for his sixteenth birthday.

I reached out and wrapped my hand around the wool tentatively. I held it close to my chest, wishing that I was holding my friend instead.

“We just wanted to give you that, dear,” Mrs. Diggory said. “We’ve got to meet with Dumbledore, but we wanted you to…well…”

“I know,” I said softly. “Thank you, Mrs. Diggory.”

She nodded, then turned to go collect her husband. I couldn’t let them leave with telling them the truth. I didn’t deserve any memories of Cedric. I was partly responsible for him dying. Wasn’t I?

“Wait!” I called, running after them. They turned around, their eyes full of worry.

“It…” I began, unsure of how to tell them. “It was me. I convinced Cedric to enter the tournament. He didn’t want to do it, but I wouldn’t stop bothering him about it and then finally he agreed, and we put our names in together. This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have made him do it, but I did, and now he’s gone and I’m so, so, sorry, if I could bring him back I-“

My words were drowned out by the tears now streaming down my cheeks. I looked up at them, waiting for their response. Instead of speaking, Mrs. Diggory reached into her purse again and pulled out what appeared to be a letter.

“Cedric wrote home just a few weeks ago,” she said, extending the letter to me. “He wanted to tell us all about the third task. When you’re ready, read it. He’d want you to know what was in here.”

I shook my head. “No, Mrs. Diggory, I couldn’t-“

“Cassie,” Mr. Diggory interjected, his voice breaking. “Our son treasured your friendship so very much. More than I think you’ll ever know. Serena is right – read that letter when you’re ready.”

With that, they each gave me a tight hug, and disappeared from the corridor, leaving me alone with a sweater, a letter, and the ghost of an old friend. 

* * *

When I reached my room, I rooted around in my trunk for my emergency bottle of Ogden’s Old. I didn’t know what time it was. I just knew I needed to be numb.

I wasn’t thinking about Fred or my friends or Harry. I was being selfish and destructive, but I didn’t give a damn. Everything I’d told Cedric’s parents was true: if I hadn’t convinced their son to enter the Triwizard Tournament with me, he would still be here. If I hadn’t twisted his arm, we would be celebrating the win of another Hogwarts champion, not mourning the loss of one. I didn’t care what they thought. This was all my fault, and I couldn’t see it any other way.

“Come on, where the fuck is it,” I muttered, my eyes welling up again as I tore my trunk apart at lightning speed. I’d drank every bottle of Dreamless Sleep and whatever Ogden’s Old I thought I had was gone. Resigned, I climbed into bed and prayed I’d go back to sleep.

I closed my eyes, but all I saw on the inside of my lids were Cedric’s body and his parents, hunched over him, sobbing.

I saw Harry, bloodied, bruised, and begging to be heard.

I saw Daniel, crying for his childhood best friend.

I saw Fred. Horrified, handsome Fred, who could do nothing but stand and stare as I howled in front of not one, not two, but three schools of students, over a loss I never dreamed I’d feel. I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.

I shot up and put my hands over my face, poorly attempting to muffle cries that escaped my lips and wracked my entire body. I didn’t care if anyone was around to hear me cry. They’d already heard it once before – what should it matter if they hear it again?

 _“Come back,”_ I cried. _“Please come back. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean it. I didn’t mean it. I didn’t mean it.”_

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my door open slightly.

“Could you leave me be, please?” I growled.

The door opened wider. Belle and Jermaine stood in the entrance, watching me closely. They were still in their clothes from the night before and their eyes were both puffy and red.

“We heard you,” Belle whispered.

“Whole house heard you,” Jermaine added.

“I don’t give a damn,” I muttered. “I just want to be alone.”

They exchanged looks, like they knew that wasn’t going to happen.

“We wanted to stay with you,” Belle said gently.

“You shouldn’t be alone right now, Cass, none of us should,” Jermaine whispered.

“Well, I want to be alone,” I said, my voice close to a yell. “Can’t you just do that for me? Can’t you just shut the damn door and leave me alone?”

They both stared at me. Jermaine’s lip began to twitch. In my own selfishness, I’d failed to consider the obvious about Belle and Jermaine.

“He was our friend too, Cassie,” he muttered, his voice breaking.

With that, I didn’t even bother to object. I held out my arms and they came into the room, sitting on either side of me tentatively.

Then, with our arms around each other and our heads bowed, we sat in silence with our grief, holding onto one another as tight as we could, for fear of what might happen if we let go. 


	23. Begin again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cass's seventh year concludes. Andromeda and Ted write, Draco pushes Cass too far, and Daniel attempts to redeem himself.

_Dearest Cassie,_

_We were so very sorry to hear about what happened to Cedric Diggory. Dora mentioned meeting him at the World Cup Final, and that you two were very close friends. The pain of losing someone so close to you is one that we wish you did not have to feel at this moment. You are far too young to hurt this deeply._

_We are writing because, after much discussion with Dora, members of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and several others, it has been decided that you cannot stay with us this summer. You see, we believe that You-Know-Who has returned, and seeing as you are the daughter of a prominent Death Eater (and would also be considered a ‘blood traitor’, sad to say), it would be unsafe for you to stay with your fellow ‘blood traitor’ relative, one that was targeted by the Death Eaters during the First Wizarding War._

_You need to stay hidden this summer, at a location that is known to almost no one and concealed from wizards and Muggles alike. Fortunately for you, one such place exists here in London. Dora will pick you up at King’s Cross Station next week and explain everything. While we know this isn’t ideal, it’s what many believe will keep you safe. That is of utmost importance to us._

_Above all, we want you to know that we’re here for you. Write if it’s safe or send letters with Dora for when she comes home. You’ll always be welcome with us._

_We love you so very much, darling._

_All the best,_

_Aunt Andy & Uncle Ted_

* * *

I reread the letter for what felt like the hundredth time, still in disbelief over what my aunt and uncle were saying. As if I wasn’t feeling isolated enough, I had to go spend my summer at an unknown location so that You-Know-Who’s followers, or members of my own family, didn’t try to kill me. Brilliant.

I was dreading the Leaving Feast, but I knew I had to go. Dumbledore would more than likely be giving a small speech about Cedric, and making an appearance was probably in my best interest. I’d pretty much stayed hidden since the third task; Belle and Jermaine would sneak food from the kitchens (Dobby made plenty of blueberry pie) and I’d do most of my homework in my room. Outside of classes, I didn’t spend a lot of time with people. I just wanted to be alone.

I also hadn’t seen too much of Fred. To be honest, we weren’t exactly on speaking terms at the moment. My insurmountable grief, coupled with his mother’s apparent hatred of me, had made things…difficult, for lack of a better term. I still remember the last conversation we had in the Potions classroom, where I’d taken to hiding in the evenings.

_“Hey,” I heard him say softly. I picked up my head slowly. Like I always did with uncomfortable things, I’d avoided Fred as much as possible after the third task. Mourning the death of your best friend while simultaneously trying to figure out why your boyfriend’s mother hates you weighs on a person._

_“Hey,” I muttered, not meeting his gaze. I heard the door shut behind him as he took a few tentative steps toward me. He looked disheveled as ever, tie askew and hair wild. I wanted to hold him tight and never let go, but my body stayed firmly in my seat._

_“What are you-“_

_“Right, can we…not do the thing where you ask me why I’m here?” he asked, his voice thin and his tone impatient. Stunned, I leaned back in my chair._

_“Why are you here?” I asked stupidly._

_“Cass, I’m your boyfriend,” he started. “At least, I thought I was, until you started ignoring me after Diggory died-“_

_“Could you at least call him by his first name?”_

_“What?”_

_“He was my friend and now he’s dead. I get that you didn’t like him, but could you at least show a little respect by calling him by his actual name?”_

_That clearly threw him for a loop. He gulped, then continued._

_“Ever since Cedric died, you’ve been hiding in your room, only leaving for classes, Belle and Jermaine say they’ve barely seen you, and you haven’t said two words to me. What’s going on? We should be able to talk to each other, especially after something bloody awful happens.”_

_I didn’t respond, carefully crafting a response in my head. Part of me knew he was right, but another part of me, a bigger part, was so deep in grief and guilt and anger that I wanted to tell him that he couldn’t fix this._

_“I…that night I was in the hospital wing…I met your mum,” I said finally. His ginger brow furrowed. I loved when he did that._

_“You met my mum?”_

_“Yeah, she was in there with your brother and Harry. She didn’t really seem too thrilled to see me. Looked like she wanted to kill me is more like it. Any idea why that might be?”_

_He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. That must’ve been a yes._

_“I wasn’t going to really even bring this up-“_

_“Oh, so there is a reason?”_

_“During the first war, my mother had this friend,” he said, his gaze hard and focused. “Genny was her name. They shared a flat in London. Your father…your father tortured and murdered her. Pretty brutally, I reckon.”_

_It felt like my brain was in freefall. Of course my father had committed a heinous crime against a member of the Weasley family, or at least against a loved one of theirs. It was clear now that I would never escape him, or the association with his brutality, as long as I lived. Everywhere I turned, someone he hurt was there, waiting to haunt me._

_“So all she sees when she looks at me-“_

_“Is him,” he said. “Yeah.”_

_I nodded slowly, taking in what he had just said. That’s why she looked murderous that night. She saw the man who took away her friend. In some twisted way, I felt a strange kinship with her, now that I knew she’d been where I was now._

_“Never mind that, Cass,” he continued, his voice beginning to shake. “I know Cedric meant a lot to you. I know he was one of your best friends, and I know you two entered the tournament together-“_

_“I convinced him to enter,” I corrected._

_“Whatever happened, you can’t blame yourself for him dying. You can’t blame yourself at all. It’s not fair, and you’ll go mad if you keep it up.”_

_I stood up slowly._

_“Don’t,” I said. “Don’t tell me how I can and can’t feel.”_

_“Cass, I’m not! It’s just-“_

_“If I hadn’t goaded Cedric into entering the tournament, maybe the goblet would’ve picked Angelina,” I said. “I know she entered. Maybe it would’ve picked another one of Cedric’s friends. Maybe it would’ve picked me. In any case, if it weren’t for me, he would never have entered and he would still be alive. Fred, when I think about it like that…there’s literally nothing for me to do but blame myself. Maybe if the goblet picked me, and I died, you’d understand how I was feeling.”_

_Fred’s face fell. I knew that thinking about me dead or in danger would upset him. That’s why I said it. I wanted to hurt him, and I hated myself for it._

_“I didn’t come down here to dispute how you feel, Cassie,” he said, his voice breaking. “I came down here to see if you were alright, and to see…to-“_

_“Godrick,” I whispered incredulously, just as Fred always did when he was surprised. “You came down here to see if I still love you. You came down here because of what happened with Dan.”_

_“Bloody hell, Cass, that’s not-“_

_“You didn’t come down here for me,” I spat, my eyes full of tears. “You came down here for you.”_

_“YOU THINK I WASN’T HORRIFIED THAT NIGHT, CASS?” he exploded, a few tears streaming down his cheeks. “YOU THINK I EXPECTED TO SEE HARRY RETURN WITH A CORPSE? YOU THINK IT DIDN’T KILL ME TO SEE YOU IN THAT KIND OF PAIN? YOU THINK, FOR ONE BLOODY SECOND, THAT I DIDN’T WANT TO BE THERE FOR YOU THE WAY HE WAS? AFTER HOW BADLY HE TREATED YOU ALL DAMN YEAR, HE GETS TO BE THERE FOR YOU?”_

_“HE WAS CEDRIC’S BEST FRIEND!” I cried. “THEY GREW UP TOGETHER! HE KNEW CEDRIC BETTER THAN ANYONE! HE KNOWS HOW I FEEL! YOU’VE NEVER LOST ANYONE THE WAY I HAVE! YOU DON’T KNOW HOW IT FEELS! YOU CAN’T HELP ME!”_

_It felt as though the room were shaking. My hands were balled up into fists and my hair hung in my eyes, obscuring my red, tear-stained cheeks. Fred’s face, on the other hand, was covered in tears, but he wiped them away angrily._

_“I did come down here for you,” he said, his voice low and somewhat composed. “I came down here because I love you and I refuse to let you go through this alone. When you love someone…you try to be there for them. But bloody hell, Cassie, you have to let me all the way in. You have to let me be here for you and you cannot push me away anymore. Otherwise…”_

_I stared back at him, my face and brain totally blank. Before I could even respond, he picked up his bag, turned on his heel, and left._

_I would’ve gone after him, but all I could do was sit down in my seat, hide my face in my robes, and cry._

* * *

For the Leaving Feast, the Great Hall was decorated not with the banners of the house winning the Cup, but with black banners for school-wide mourning. Students spoke in hushed tones, bidding early farewells to their friends. I saw Daniel and Cho sitting together, talking quietly. At the end of our table, Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle all sat, smirking at the decorations. Across from me, Fred sat with George, Lee, and Angelina, trying to look engaged in conversation.

I wanted so badly to hold him and never let go, but we hadn’t spoken in weeks. Even though he said he’d be there for me no matter what, I pushed him away at every turn. It was probably over, and it was all my fault. _Much like another horrible event that happened recently._

After twenty minutes or so, Professor Dumbledore stood at the podium to speak.

“There is much that I would like to say to you all tonight,” said Dumbledore, “but I must first acknowledge the loss of a very fine person, who should be sitting here. I would like you all, please, to stand, and raise your glasses, to Cedric Diggory.”

At our table, very few goblets went up, but Belle, Jermaine, and I hoisted ours in the air along with our classmates.

 _“To Cedric Diggory,”_ we said proudly, almost defiantly. Dumbledore smiled sadly, then continued.

“Cedric was a good and loyal friend, a hard worker, he valued fair play. His death has affected you all, whether you knew him well or not. I think that you have the right, therefore, to know exactly how it came about.”

A hush fell over the room. We waited, with bated breath, to hear what Dumbledore would say was the cause of death. I squeezed Belle and Jermaine’s hands, praying he’d tell us the truth.

“ _Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort.”_

The Ministry of Magic,” Dumbledore continued, “does not wish me to tell you this. It is possible that some of your parents will be horrified that I have done so. It is my belief, however, that any attempt to pretend that Cedric died as the result of an accident, or some sort of blunder of his own, is an insult to his memory.”

“Bloody right about that,” Jermaine muttered.

Dumbledore went on to talk about how Harry fought Voldemort, that he brought Cedric’s body back to Hogwarts at a great personal risk and honored him as well. Down the table, the look on Draco’s face turned from generally unimpressed to disgusted.

Dumbledore also went on to talk about the importance of the bonds of friendship and unity in troubled times, but I wasn’t fully listening. I was running through every memory I’d ever made with Cedric, thinking about how I’d never get to make any more. I thought about how this was my last night at Hogwarts, that the last two months had marred any good feelings I had about this school. Instead of seeing it as my home for the last seven years, I saw it as the place where my life completely shattered, scattering the pieces to the wind instead of helping me pick them up.

I wanted to cry, but I couldn’t, and that only made me want to more.

* * *

“Isn’t it funny that we only get a car to ourselves on our last train ride back home?” Belle asked. I shrugged, setting Lyra’s cage at my feet and falling down on the car’s cushioned bench. I knew that this was the last time I’d see Belle and Jermaine for a while (Belle was going straight to Rome to start Curse-Breaking for Gringotts and Jermaine was going to intern at the Ministry), but I really just wanted to sleep on the train ride back. In my head, I was all nerves thinking about what would happen when I saw Tonks. Where was she taking me? Who else lived there? There were too many questions for me to even think.

After a few minutes, I saw Lee, George, and Fred pass by our car. Fred did a double-take when he saw me but kept moving. I wanted to follow him, but I was scared of what he’d say if I did. Belle noticed my eyes following him.

“You two still haven’t spoken, have you?” she asked, smiling sympathetically. I shook my head.

“No. I’ve been a bit busy with the grieving and the crying and I guess we just…couldn’t hack it,” I said with a shrug. “It’s fine, I suppose. He’s going back for his seventh year, I’m going to start work. It’s probably how it should be.”

“But he loves you! And you love him and-“

“And sometimes love isn’t enough, Belle,” I snapped. “It’s just not. Grief…changes people, I guess. I’m different now and I guess he didn’t like that.”

That was an absolute lie and I knew it, but it sounded better than _‘I know he loves me, and I love him. I love him so much that I can’t breathe or eat or think straight, but I keep pushing him away and I can’t stop.’_

With another sympathetic smile, Belle bowed her head and went back to reading Witch Weekly. After a few minutes, I heard familiar laughter. Laughter I was not in the mood for. All of a sudden, Draco slid the door of our compartment open.

“Piss off, little brother,” I said flatly, not picking up my head.

“You’ve picked the losing side, Cassie,” he sneered, Crabbe and Goyle at his side. “Just you wait! Father will be welcomed back into the fold in no time, if he hasn’t already, and he’ll help the Dark Lord come back to power! Just you wait, it’ll be Mudbloods and Muggle-lovers first. Well, Diggory was the first, but I wonder who he’ll pick off next. Maybe Weasley? Or better yet, that Mudblood Light? Or maybe even you?”

I don’t know what came over me, but I couldn’t take it anymore. I shot up from my seat and lunged for Draco, almost in slow-motion. He turned around and ran out of the compartment, clearly thinking I was about to cast a humiliating hex, but I was enraged. I raised my wand to the back of Draco’s head, remembering a spell from the margins of Advanced Potion Making.

_For enemies._

_“SECTUMSEM-“_

“CASS, DON’T!” a voice boomed behind me. In a flash, Daniel yanked my wand down and pulled me back into my compartment.

“What the hell was that? Where did you learn that spell?”

I said nothing. I didn’t look at him.

“Is it dark magic?” he asked accusingly.

“I don’t know what it is. I found it…it was in one of my potions books,” I mumbled, still shaken up from being dragged around by my ex-boyfriend. “I don’t know what it does.”

He looked at me long and hard.

“If you don’t know what it does, and especially if you’ve never used it before…it could be really dark magic, Cass,” he said quietly, shutting the door behind him and sitting down across from me. Belle and Jermaine exchanged looks. 

“Isn’t Annamaria going to wonder where you are?” I scoffed, folding my arms.

“She’ll be fine for five minutes,” he shot back. “I’m not leaving here until I know you’re alright.”

“Then I guess you’re never getting out,” I snapped, folding my arms across my chest.

Dan leaned back in his seat and looked out the window, thinking of what to say next.

“I need some air,” Belle muttered, narrowing her eyes at Jermaine. He shot up with her, gave me a smile, then followed her out of the car. _Some friends, leaving me here with him._

“Cassie-“

“I’m fine.”

“Cassie, I think I know you a bit better than that. You know you can tell me-“

“I can’t,” I snapped. “Why are you even here? Aren’t you scared I’ll throw some Dark magic in your face if you say the wrong thing?”

He closed his eyes, exhaling loudly.

“No,” he muttered. “I know you’re not like that.”

“You were wrong, you know,” I said, feeling particularly vindictive. “Fred decided he didn’t want me, not the other way around. Seems like you don’t have me as figured out as you think.”

His face hardened. We never actually talked about what happened that day in the Three Broomsticks. I always dodged him whenever he tried to talk to me. I knew I owed him an apology for how I acted, but so did he.

“I’m sorry about what I said that day,” he said finally, sincerely. “You didn’t deserve that and neither did he. I’d seen you two in the pub before Cedric and Cho came in. The way he looked at you…it was obvious that he was already in love with you, and that you loved him, and I was jealous.”

I just stared at him, unsure of what to say. Luckily, he kept talking.

“I’m sorry for turning around and being horrible to you all year. I’m sorry for the sneering and the comments and for making you feel bad for how things ended with us. I know I can’t take any of it back, but I am really, truly sorry for all of it. I know you wanted to be friends, and I really ruined that.”

I blinked. I didn’t expect that, but maybe he was feeling like he needed to make amends, just in case he died tomorrow. Turns out, it’s not as uncommon as you think. 

“Thank you,” I said quietly. Before I could continue, he did.

“I know I said I’d go sit with Annamaria…but I don’t really want to act normal right now. I kind of want to sit with someone who feels just as awful as I do. Is that okay with you?”

I nodded. Come to think of it, Cedric’s other friends weren’t grieving the same way Dan and I were. We didn’t sleep, and the grief came in waves, overtaking us like a wave on a choppy sea. Forcing us beneath the surface, no escape. I needed to be around someone who understood my pain perfectly, and strangely enough, that person was Dan.

We sat in silence for the rest of the train ride, his presence comforting me the way it used to. Once or twice during the ride, I thought I saw a flash of red hair breeze past our car, but I must’ve imagined it. I must have.

* * *

“Cassie? Hey, we’re back,” Daniel said softly, shaking me awake.

My eyes fluttered open. Guess I did sleep the entire time. Probably the most I’ve slept in the last six weeks.

I grabbed my bags and Lyra’s cage and headed for the door with Dan at my side. When we disembarked, I saw Belle and Jermaine waiting for me. They held out their arms for hugs.

“You better send some photos of Rome, Belle,” I said. “Maybe you’ll meet a gorgeous Italian girl you can tell us all about.”

“I doubt it,” she said. “I just want to see the world and work on myself. I’ll let you know when I’m back in England and we’ll all get a drink!”

I nodded, giving my best friend a long, tight hug. I couldn’t believe I was losing my friends all at once, but they weren’t dying. We’d all see each other again soon, or so I hoped.

“Jermaine,” I said. “I’m sure I’ll see you around at some point. Just don’t get attacked by any Ashwinders or other triple ‘X’ rated creatures, yeah?”

He laughed, giving me an equally tight hug, before Belle threw her arms around us in a group embrace. My eyes filled with tears once again, not from grief, but from gratitude that I had Annabelle Greengrass and Jermaine Pucey for best friends. Finally, I waved them off and watched them disappear across the platform, Belle’s curls dancing behind her like always.

I turned around to see Dan still standing there. I gave him a small smile, which he returned. Then, I threw my arms around him the same as I did when Cedric died, holding on for dear life. Regardless of everything that happened between us, we had history, and a part of that history would disappear the moment we parted ways today.

“You going back to your aunt and uncle’s?” he asked after we pulled away, trying to act natural.

I shook my head. “I’ve got to stay at some unknown location. You know, so my family doesn’t kill me.”

He laughed, clearly thinking that was a joke. One thing remained true about Dan: he gravely underestimated the bloodlust of pureblood families. 

“You take care of yourself, Cassie,” he said, squeezing my arm. “Write to me whenever you want. I made the mistake of not being there for you before. I won’t make it again. Not now, not ever.”

I looked at my shoes, uncertain of how to respond.

“Of course, I’ll write,” I said, even though I didn’t believe I would. “I promise.”

He nodded, gave me one final hug, then disappeared down the platform.

Now that I’d said all my goodbyes, it was time to find Tonks. As I wandered across Platform 9 ¾, I heard my name being called from opposite directions.

_“WOTCHER, CASSIE!”_

_“CASS, WAIT!”_

I turned to the right to see Tonks, spiky pink hair and all, waving wildly at me. I turned to the left to see Fred standing next to me. A hundred feet back, his family waited for him; George, Ron, Ginny, Harry, Hermione, and his parents. His mother saw me but looked away quickly.

I didn’t know what to say. We hadn’t spoken in weeks. Thankfully I didn’t have to say a word, because he took a single step forward, just as he had that night outside Gryffindor Tower, and wrapped his arms around me in the tightest hug imaginable.

All I wanted during the Leaving Feast was to hold him and never let go, and here he was, arms tightly around one another, his hand lightly stroking my hair. How was it that, even though we hadn’t spoken and were probably broken up, that he knew exactly what I needed?

After well pulled away, we stared at each other, the same as we did that night in Gryffindor Tower. The night I realized I loved the chaotic, ginger-haired, golden boy who stood before me. Whether he still loved me was another story, and whether we could work through my grief and other host of problems was another.

He pushed the same stray piece of blonde hair out of my eye and tucked it behind my ear with a small smile.

“I’ll see you soon, okay?” he asked quietly.

I cocked my brow, confused.

“What do you mean?”

He shifted, turning to see if his mum and dad were watching.

“Just…trust me. I’ll see you soon. I swear.”

Then, he turned on his heel, hurried back to his family, and disappeared from view.

Before I could even process what had just occurred, I felt a hand tighten around my shoulder.

“Hey, you,” my cousin said softly, pulling me in for a hug and holding me tight for a few minutes. “You ready to go home?”

“I thought I wasn’t going home,” I corrected. “Your mum said I was going to some secret location for the summer, that’s where you’re taking me.”

“Right you are,” she said, wiggling her brows. “Take my hand. We’re expected there – blimey, right now, actually. Shall we?”

It had been far too long. I cracked a smile, squeezed Tonks’s hand, and we vanished into the air.

* * *

_THUD!_

“For Christ’s sakes, Nymphadora, she’s about as bloody clumsy as you!” a gruff, irritated voice said from behind us. I turned around to see Mad-Eye Moody – the real Mad-Eye Moody – lumbering toward us, walking stick hitting the pavement loudly.

 _“DON’T. CALL. ME. NYMPHADORA,”_ Tonks spat. I looked wildly from Moody back to Tonks.

“Professor Moody, where-“

“Did nobody tell you anything before you arrived, Miss Malfoy?” he asked, his magic eye lolling around in his head, watching my every move. “Very well. This is where you’ll be staying this summer. And for the foreseeable future.”

I turned back around to face the row of flats in front of me. They were all the same; white brick, black front doors, wrought-iron fencing. There was nothing special about any of them.

“Which one? Who lives here?” I asked.

Moody jerked his head forward and I turned around to see that the building was moving, literally moving, to reveal another flat in the middle, between numbers ten and fourteen. When it was done, it looked the same as the rest of them.

 _A place concealed to wizards and Muggles alike._ That’s what Andromeda said.

Suddenly, Moody shoved a piece of parchment into my hands as he unlocked the gate leading up to the flat. Tonks and I quickly followed.

“Read it, memorize it, tell no one about it,” he instructed.

I looked down at the once-blank piece of parchment, which was now dotted with tiny black letters, letters that weren’t there before. I squinted to see what words they were forming.

_The headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix are located at:_

_Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus concludes our GOF section of the story! Now that we're moving into OOtP, get ready for new characters, new relationships, new struggles, and plenty of Ogden's Old and ginger beer. Thanks to everyone who's come along on the journey so far!
> 
> Also, the character/story of Genny (Molly's friend who was killed by Lucius) is not my creation, but an OC from the mind of the lovely @ivanisamarauder, who is writing a fic called Our Last Summer (you can find it here on AO3). It's actually Molly/Alastor and chronicles the life of a young Molly Prewett and it's truly such a great story. If you're interested, I'd highly recommend checking it out!


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